Glimmered Performance
by Silver Supa
Summary: Akko finally seems to be achieving her dream of becoming a performer just like Shiny Chariot. But with that up and coming stardom, she also finds herself dealing with the Cavendishes again. Mostly because she's pretty much crashing on Diana's couch, and Daryl, Maril, and Merrill are...adjusting. (Future AU, Diakko living together, Hamanda, and all that good fluffy stuff)
1. Just Backstage

The thing was, Akko loved performing. And she had actually gotten sort of good at it, too.

She was _far_ from Shiny Chariot's level of stardom, and still without a real sponsor, so it could be weeks between shows, which she spent fruitlessly throwing her name and resume out to venue after venue. But it didn't really matter to her that she wasn't the best at it, simply because she thought performing was _fun_.

It had been almost sixteen years since she first saw Shiny Chariot perform, and there were no words for what it felt like to be on the other side of the stage.

Her life felt so much more fulfilling, now that she had graduated from Luna Nova. She was her own witch now (with her own degree!) She didn't have to deal with people like Finnelan and Badcock pouncing on her, or tests built for people who grew up with witchcraft and had a decade of experience over her.

And sure, there were plenty of stresses that came with finally being on stage. Sometimes she felt under constant pressure to make each show more spectacular and dazzling than the last. And without a real agent, she kept running back and forth between England and Japan.

And yet…

It was all worth it to share her love of magic with the audience, to dance among the lights and music, to be the reason a girl could forget her troubles for a little bit and just smile.

Tonight was one of the lucky nights when her persistence paid off.

A few months ago, some company in Blytonbury was looking for entertainment for their annual festival. It would be a larger scale gig than anything Akko had done since the first Samhain Festival at the academy, but she sent over a video of her last show in Edogawa anyway.

And incredibly! They actually _hired_ her.

The dressing room backstage was rather small, and no matter how many air fresheners the festival staff put in, the faint smell of smoke still lingered to the carpets. But nonetheless, Akko found herself humming along to the muffled sounds of the song the band on stage was playing.

She peeked past dressing room divider, to see how her girlfriend was doing. Diana was nose deep in the same thick textbook she had been reading for days. She was waiting for the performer to finish getting her costume on, having come to see her show despite all her responsibilities.

Diana placed the back of her mouth to her hand, unable to fight back a silent yawn. It could not be said those responsibilities did not take their toll. She looked a bit worn down.

"Diana, Diana!" Akko called out. "When I go up on stage for the first time, do you think I should wear my hat up or down?"

Diana lowered her book. "What would the difference be?"

"I mean if I tilt my hat up, then the audience can see my face easier. But if I tilt it _down_ \- then I get a mysterious, witchy kinda look. Which do you think would look better on me?"

Diana probably could've still recited Luna Nova's whole dress code on how witches should wear hats in public spaces, but thankfully, she refrained.

"I suppose the...witchy...look might be beneficial. You _are_ representing witchcraft while you're on stage, after all." Diana mused. "Though, worrying about such a thing hardly seems like you."

"I gotta look good for the very first time the audience sees me! Ursula always said first impressions matter, and how can I ignore advice from Shiny Chariot herself?"

Diana hummed.

"What? What's so funny?"

"I can list at least several times you ignored Ursula's advice, if you like."

Akko wasn't quite done changing yet, so she picked up her jacket from the floor and haphazardly tossed it in Diana's general direction.

"Heeey...I took Ursula's advice plenty of times in school! And I'm talking about _show_ advice, not _that_ kinda stuff!"

"I'm just teasing, Akko." Diana said. "Though I do want to ensure your show tonight is a success. You flew all the way out here. I'd hate for you to go home empty handed."

With most of her costume on, Akko was decent enough to step out from the divider into the full room. The sight of her in her partial ensemble was enough to make Diana set her textbook down on the coffee table and give her...undivided attention.

(It was the little things that Akko missed when they inevitably had to turn this back into a long distance relationship)

But she shook those thoughts from her head, and her sunshiny expression easily returned.

"Are you excited? You almost _never_ get to see me perform live!"

"Not for lack of trying." Diana defended herself. "It's been rather hectic lately. I simply don't have as much free time as I'd like."

"Are you _sure_ you're liking that hospital internship?"

"I am. For as heavy as the workload can be, it feels nice to put all my family's knowledge to practical use."

"Is that what that's for?" Akko asked, pointing to the absurdly thick textbook on the table.

Diana's brows stitched together. Her bookmark within it was barely a third of the way through.

"My supervisor recommended I page through it. It's about applying magic to modern medicine. It's...a little too theoretical at times, but I find it interesting enough."

Akko would be lying if she said she wasn't proud of Diana for it. She balanced that, plus graduate school, _plus_ her personal life at the Manor. But she'd also be lying if she said she didn't worry.

"You do too much sometimes." Akko smiled a little. "That's why I'm gonna make this is my best show ever. I gotta make sure even the biggest stick in the mud in the world can see this thing tonight and have fun on her time off!"

Diana snorted. "How noble."

She caught Diana eyeing her book again out of the corner of her eye. Her shoulders slumped as she realized how much work she had left.

So naturally, Akko flicked it from the table, and sat her bottom down in its place.

Diana was unamused as her book hit the floor.

"...Really?"

"Hmm?" Akko shrugged innocently. "Really what? I just wanted to sit down for a sec."

Akko knew that Diana wanted to mention the three other seats in the dressing room. Diana knew that Akko knew that Diana wanted to mention it, which meant that if she _did_ , Diana would be playing right into Akko's hands.

"Shouldn't you be taking this show more seriously? Diana said flatly. "You have quite the crowd out there tonight."

"How can I take this seriously when the whole point is to show everyone how _fun_ magic is? That just goes against my whole message."

Diana was unamused.

"Dianaaa! You can't go acting like you're my _manager_ too!"

"Who _else_ could possibly manage someone as unwieldy as you?" Diana shrugged. "Certainly not some hapless talent agent. At least I have experience."

"May~be!" Akko answered in a teasing voice. "But I think you're too close to manage someone like me."

"And why is that?"

"Because." Akko narrowed her eyes daringly. " _I_ know all your weaknesses."

She made a show of crossing one leg over the other. Thigh-high boots, incidentally. Part of her costume. Hugged her legs nicely. Diana had definitely noticed that detail.

Which was why Diana kept her eyes very carefully above Akko's neck. "...No, you don't."

Akko's tone lowered, until it was little more than a smoky whisper. "Is that a _challenge_ , Diana?"

She leaned inwards, leering over her rival's chair with a mischievous smile. The way Diana sucked in her lower lip did not escape her attention.

"It was not."

"Sounded like one to me. Maybe I should prove it to you?"

Their noses were getting quite close now. Akko was right on the edge of the table. She could see the muted shiver of anticipation pass through Diana.

Feeling encouraged, Akko closed the gap between the two of them further, and further. And slowly, Diana's lips parted.

"You're going to be late for your own show."

And with that, Akko found a red cape thrown in her face.

She barked out a laugh. That's why she loved performing in England. She just didn't _get_ clothes thrown in her face back home. That was exclusive treatment.

She pulled the cape off her head, stood up, and took to putting it on. As she was fiddling with the straps, she turned and smirked.

"Hey." Akko said. "Remember when I mentioned that stick in the mud? That was you."

"Imagine that."

"Just wanted to make sure you knew." Akko said. "But either way, you really gotta learn to loosen up a little! So much stress is bad for you."

"I-I am _not_ stressed."

Diana crossed her arms in a huff. She was pretending the red at the tips of her ears was simply due to the cold, when she was clearly feeling anything but.

Akko wasn't sure why it made her giggle like it did. She tried turned her attention back to her cape. And she was biting into her lip _really_ hard. And yet…

"...Pfft."

Diana bristled. "And what's so funny _this_ time?"

"S-sorry! Sorry." Akko giggled. "It's just that- No matter how many years pass, you're still the adorable Diana I know!"

That was about as far from the barb Diana had been gearing up for as possible. She flushed, at least partly out of embarrassment. But the corner of her lip snuck up her cheek.

"...Oh." was what she said.

She always had been a little weak for sweet nothings.

Cruel as it was, Akko had a _little_ guilty pride in being able to fluster her girlfriend even after almost five years of dating. Diana would get her back for it soon, and she'd just have to let her.

Five years. It felt strange to think that it wasn't even _that_ yet. They had been by each other's sides through so much already- The Words, the missile, the parasite, that entire _disaster_ at graduation. Akko was already sure:

This was the woman she was going to spend the rest of her life with.

But at the end of the day, Akko lived in Japan, and Diana in England.

They no longer could just drop everything and see each other whenever they wanted. Some days, their lives felt as different as possible. A healer and a performer, the Head of a House and a girl who barely made rent half the time.

That's why Akko needed an actual sponsor. No more long distance. She could _live_ here, not just crash on the couch during the holidays. She and Diana could be together all the time. They could work together, live together, and maybe one day…

(Ah, she'd save those thoughts for another time…)

"Anyway...don't _worry_ so much." Akko told her. "I just _know_ there's a talent agent or something out there somewhere, and when I find them, I'm gonna blow their socks off."

"I'm sure you will." Diana brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "In any case...it would certainly be nice if you managed to land a contract here in the country."

"Yeah, I'm almost there!" Akko agreed.

She fastened the cape around her shoulders and let it fall to her calves. And once she set the hat atop her short crop of brown hair, her performer costume was finally complete.

She turned back and struck a small pose.

"So how does it look?"

The sleeveless tunic, white as a bunny's fur and emblazoned with glittery buttons and a purple sash, was maybe more cutesy than Shiny Chariot's number, but then, Akko didn't _want_ to be Shiny Chariot 2.0, she wanted a costume and a name that was all her own.

Diana must've seen the costume a dozen times by now. And yet, every time, her expression seemed to melt as those blue eyes traveled down the length of her girlfriend's body. And every time, Akko couldn't help but feel emboldened. Somehow both herself, while also something larger than life.

"...You look breathtaking."

Akko flicked the brim of her hat upwards, grinning ear to ear like an absolute moron. She spun on the toe of her boot, enjoying how the light material of her cape flowed with her, how her skirt lifted and twirled with her.

And especially, the way Diana _looked_ at her. She leaned into the armrest with a dreamy sigh. Her gaze overflowed with love, and the kiss of rosiness of her cheeks contrasted so nicely with her light hair.

A thousand pairs of eyes could be on Akko, and none of them could make her feel quite as admired.

The band outside on the stage was playing a love song Akko recognized from the radio. She didn't know the words, but she liked the slower, melodic tune. She could picture it in her head, the lights, the music, the romance of it all.

Gradually, Akko swayed her hips with the beat.

"What do you think of this song, Diana?"

Diana wasn't even listening. "It's pretty."

She stood upright, and fluffed out Akko's cape, smoothing out the fabric and making it sure it sat in a pleasing way. And with her girlfriend's hands running down her shoulders, Akko snaked her arms around Diana's waist.

And again, Akko swayed. With Diana in her arms, she bobbed from one foot to the other. She danced to the mystery love song, and she moved Diana right along with her.

Diana tried very hard to keep her serious demeanor up, but even now, she found herself falling so easily, willingly, into the performer's spell.

"…Y-you realize this makes fixing your ensemble needlessly difficult."

"Is it _really_ too difficult for the illustratus Diana Cavendish?"

"Illustrious." Diana corrected.

"I bet you can do it. You're good at dancing, right?"

She stepped to the side, and Diana simply went along with her. The two of them twirled in a slow waltz to a muffled song. Akko's hands snaked up the curves of Diana's torso, until they finally came to rest on her cheeks.

As the sound of Akko's humming found its way to Diana's ears, her blush deepened.

"Akko…" She mumbled. "...We're not even on _beat_."

"Ah, who cares?"

And there it was, the fruit of her labor. Try as she might, Diana couldn't fight down the embarrassed grin any longer. No matter how many years passed, the sight of that grin was a magic in itself.

Finally, Diana danced with Akko. Her hand trailed down her back as they lazily twirled around the dingy dressing room, lit by a single lady buzzing fluorescent bulb. Diana was practiced in waltzing, but it hardly made a difference here.

They were just having fun. The rhythm of the music was more of an afterthought than an actual direction. Their bodies moved in tandem, rocking and swaying.

"Just so you know…" Akko whispered into Diana's ear. "One day, I'm gonna find a way to make you so happy, you're not even gonna remember all the things that are stressing you out right now."

"You've surprised me before. But I have to say, I'm not sure that's even possible."

"Then I guess I'm gonna have to keep performing, just for you. You'll be in the front row, I'll be on stage. And we'll keep going over and over until you finally believe me."

Akko craned upwards and pressed a kiss to her lips, and a light, breathless, and simply carefree giggle escaped Diana (And gosh, that was a lethal combination. Oughta be a law)

The back of Diana's hand ran down Akko's cheek, and she shook her head in disbelief.

"You're the most ridiculous girl I've ever met."

"I know. But it sells tickets, so what can you do?"

So Akko pressed yet another quick kiss to Diana's face, hitting the corner of Diana's mouth instead of her actual lips. And then she pressed another, and another. And Diana's laugh simply broke through more and more.

"A-Akko…! Stop it!"

Naturally, Akko's assault did not cease.

"I _mean_ it! S-stop!"

Diana's face even felt warm in her hands.

"Why did you have to go and get taller anyway?" Akko accused. "I didn't _used_ to have to stand on my toes."

"A-aren't...aren't those boots platforms?"

" _Rude!_ " Akko gasped in mock offense. "I can't believe my greatest rival would stoop so low."

"Stoop so low? Now you're just calling _yourself_ short, my love."

 _My love._

A warm glow spread through Akko's face at the silly pet name. "Y-you're so _sappy_ , Diana! I can't believe you just actually said that!"

"Mhmm." She cupped Akko's chin, and urged her closer. Akko's lips gladly met her halfway.

Diana was a _much_ better kisser than she was anyway. The nerve of her.

She barely pulled away, and instead rested her forehead against Akko's. But they only just know noticed the band out front had long since stopped playing.

Diana chewed on her bottom lip for a moment.

"Did...I really seem like I was in need of comforting?"

Akko looked up at her. Diana figured her out?

"...I'm sorry." Diana said. "I don't mean to be so distracted, or bossy. This should be your night, not mine."

"No, Diana-"

"Even if I do have a lot of work, I don't want to diminish _your_ career. I have time to take care of it, and It's not-"

"Hey." Akko gently cut in. "You're following your heart. And to me, that's all that matters."

It was a very _Akko_ way to answer. Diana's face settled in that soft smile yet again.

Worries or not, it was these small reminders that reminded her why their relationship could survive the distance. The doctor and the entertainer. It had a nice, lyrical quality to it.

They could've kept going for hours, laughing, talking (and really, just flirting _shamelessly_ )...but a heavy hand knocked on her dressing room door, and after a moment, he peeked his head in at the couple.

"Miss Kagari?" Roy said. "Yer on in five."

Roy was a cyclops. He worked for the festival. Akko had asked him if she could go grab a bag of M&Ms and he went and got it for her. She liked Roy.

Diana forced herself to part away. Averting her eyes, she brushed a lock of hair behind her ears.

"I suppose it's time for me to go then…"

"Guess so." Akko nodded. "But I expect you to have the time of your life tonight. This is going to be my most amazing show yet, I guarantee it!"

Diana took a moment to fix Akko's hat, before she started towards the door. With her hand resting on the door handle, she turned back, that soft look still playing across the blue of her eyes.

"In that case, if you're up there, and you doubt how happy I am for you…" Diana said. "Then...just watch me."

Akko stuck her tongue out at that.

* * *

Her song began to play through the stage's speakers. The announcer out front began to rattle off her introduction.

She carefully peeked through the stage curtains, and saw so many aspiring little witches in the audience. Had _she_ looked that excited when she first saw Shiny Chariot?

But most of all, she saw Diana in the front row- with that proud, goofy, lovesick smile spread on her reddened cheeks. ( _Such_ a sap. Akko loved her so much)

She readied her magic as the curtains began to part. She felt larger than life, and finally the show could begin anew again, where everything she had ever wanted was possible again. Diana's seemingly important textbook was left forgotten on the dressing room floor until long after the show was over.

* * *

 _A.N. This chapter's dedicated to two of my closest friends in the LWA fandom, undersea_anchor and all-the-cliches for always being so supportive. Love you two!_


	2. A Day in the Life

When the show began, the lights clicked on one by one. But the stage they illuminated was empty. Some of the audience murmured in confusion, others simply stayed silent and waited.

Then, a small, white-furred bunny scampered to the centerstage. As if confused, it periscoped on its hind legs, its nose twitching as it scanned the crowd.

The bunny returned to all four legs. Without warning, it suddenly leapt high and backflipped into the air.

Before it come back down to earth, it was engulfed in a puff of smoke and wisp of magic. The witch shed her rabbit form to become human again, landing neatly on her platform boots.

The music blared her theme as she stood upright. Akko crossed her hat across her chest, and bowed to the crowd.

"Good evening, everyone!" She announced. "I want to welcome you to the thrilling and exciting world of magic!"

The long cape cascaded so easily behind her. And the glittered tunic sparkled radiantly underneath the stage lights with her every gesture, as though it was made of stars.

Placing the hat back atop her head, her expression was alight.

"They call me the uncanny, the extraordinary, the _Glimmer Usa-chan!_ And tonight, I'm going to be your host on this super spectacular journey! I hope you'll come with me and have fun!"

With the barest wave of her wand, she unleased a cascade of fireworks over the crowd. They clapped and cheered all the way to the back row as rainbows of light illuminated their faces.

Akko may not have been the best magician, but Glimmer Usa-chan's shows were like nothing else out there. She may have been small-scale, but the look on her face said anything but.

She smiled, and the audience smiled with her. She'd wave her hands through the air, the black gloves contrasting brilliantly with the white sleeves, and the audience was transfixed.

It helped that the costume shined, and the cape made her look bigger than she actually was. She felt different, on stage as Usa-chan.

Not that it was any secret who she was, even on the posters, it read _Akko Kagari_ right underneath. And it was no secret to anyone who talked to her for more than…probably five minutes at a time, knew that she wanted to share her love of magic with the world.

But as Usa-chan…maybe carefree was the word. Akko could worry about the bills, the legacy of being Shiny Chariot's successor, the future, all those annoying feelings on her downtime. Here, she _felt_ magnetic, so she _was_ magnetic.

And when she was on, her passion to simply _create_ , to leave her mark on the world simply poured through her every action.

Sometimes, she'd cheerily explain what she was doing, add a small bit of personal charm in the slower segments. Like, after a little trick with some metamorphis magic, soaring around as a cutesy little elephant, she'd grin and say, "I always used to be bad at that spell. I didn't actually get _good_ until I was almost getting eaten by a giant pink flesh monster!"

The audience would laugh like she was kidding, but she actually wasn't.

The earlier parts of her act favored illusionary magic. She could gesture to the sky, and ask the constellations to dance with her, and they would. Her wand was like a conductor's baton, and the very night sky seemed to play along with her.

She appeared to call stars down from the heaven to just above the stage, and they'd spin and twirl and make shapes. She'd write her name, make a smiley face, that sorta thing. Just for fun.

There was a little redheaded girl in the front row with chubby cheeks who couldn't have been much older than Akko or Diana were when they saw their first show. Her mother looked like a witch by trade, not entirely _interested_ in the show.

But the redheaded little girl was mesmerized. She might've grown up in a magically-blessed household, and she might've even seen a few academies her parents wanted her to go to when she was grown, but she had _never_ seen any magic like this.

Usa-chan made a few more stars appear behind her, shaped the constellation into a hand, and waved right to the little girl. The redhead gasped in delight, and practically jumped onto her mother, shaking and pointing.

After her 17th birthday, Akko and Diana had practiced illusionary magic a lot. It wasn't _easy_ to learn, but it was always dismissed as useless fluff. It also couldn't fix anything, couldn't serve any practical use, so Luna Nova mostly ignored it. _Most_ respected witches ignored it.

She, however, loved it. Too many witches only ever used magic like they were "supposed" to, and that seemed unfair. In her mind, _that_ was the appeal of her show. People could say what they want, but _no one_ ever used magic quite like her.

Her eyes drifted over to Diana's seat in the front row. Of course Diana knew just about every spell in the book that Akko might've pulled out, so whenever she could, Usa-chan would add a personal spin to whatever spell she was doing to see if she could surprise her too.

She did wanna keep her word, after all, and make sure it was more than worth it for Diana to take time away to come see her show.

Diana covered her mouth, hiding a small giggle behind it. The constellation behind Usa-chan had changed from a hand to a pink heart.

(Later, after the show, she'd ask Akko if that was intentional or subconscious, and Akko wouldn't tell her. But the truth was that it was kinda half and half)

For now though, she just winked, let the stars return to the sky, and made some cheesy joke to the audience.

She flowed easily from one segment of her act to the other. In one part, she'd be throwing together incompatible disciplines of magic in impossible ways, and in another, she'd tell a quick anecdote how she first mastered this or that spell falling off a building.

And then for the climax, she'd simply go to town. Mix one part illusionary magic, another part illumination, throw in a dash of fire spells and season lightly with a wee bit of growth magic, and suddenly, she summoned an enormous, serpentine dragon.

Its long, snakelike body was transparent, and blazing with black and red fire. She reveled in the oohs and ahhs from the audience as the beast coiled through the air. It roared and screeched, and streaked like a dark missile, and opened its jaws wide as it shot right towards Usa-chan's head.

She poofed back into a bunny and quickly hid inside her hat.

(The over the top scream she let out netted her a few laughs)

And at the very end of it all, after a seemingly hopeless battle when all seemed lost, she'd suddenly find the strength in her heart, and she'd transform her wand into a mighty purple bow.

The magic arrow ripped through the beast, and it was reduced to nothing. Rainbow colored sparkles, like glimmers of confetti, fluttered down onto the audience. More than a few of the younger ones reached out and tried to grab the sparkles in their hands.

The band played their final notes, and Usa-chan finished off with a dazzling firework show, before Akko pirouetted on her toe, removed her hat once more, and bowed one last time.

The music finished, and the audience cheered and clapped for her. If she wasn't already breathless, it would've stolen it away. It sounded deafening in the sweetest way possible.

And Diana? Couldn't have looked prouder if she tried.

She snuck back behind stage and tried to catch her breath.

She thought that went pretty good? Always hard for her to say. Especially in the moments right after the show's conclusion, where everything seemed to run together in her head, and she could only see the things she could've done better.

Next time, though. She'd keep at it until she was the very best performer out there.

Roy harshly tapped her shoulder. "Your line, Miss Kagari! You forgot your _line!_

"Oh! Uhhh, sorry, sorry!"

Akko darted back out on stage, visibly reading from a notecard. A few stray audience members chuckled.

"Um…All the staff, sponsors, and contributors of the Enchanted Days Fair would like thank all of you…for your attendance today and continued contribution. We, uh…hope you enjoy yourselves and take parts in the fair's amenities and attractions!"

Smooth.

* * *

Not long after the show, Diana came to collect her, and she made _sure_ to tell her how amazing she had done and how nice she had looked until Akko's entire face was warm. They were stepping out of the backstage, preparing to head home for the night.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the little redheaded girl from the audience, bouncing by her mother's leg.

"Mum, Mum! D-did you like it, Mum?"

"That was certainly a...unique use of metamorphosis magic. And I can't say I've ever seen someone combine it with levitation quite like that."

The redhead was simply breathless. "I never knew you could do stuff like that! Mum, did you see the part where she waved at me? A-and the part where she turned into a blob! That was so cool! I wish I could learn that!"

The mother absently hummed, in that "We'll see" way mothers seem wont to do.

The redhead finally noticed the performer looking her way. Her eyes widened.

Akko supposed she _should've_ done some flashy pose, or a quick little trick. If she had been a kid and she saw Chariot looking her way, she might've liked to see something like that.

Instead, as just Akko this time, she smiled a little earnest smile, and waved again. She tried to have the same kind of supportive look Ursula always gave her.

The redhead's eyes lit up so bright. She was too starstruck to wave back.

Then she looked further behind her, and noticed a professional looking man scribbling on a notepad. Possibly some reviewer? Maybe she even got lucky and this was talent agent at last. Maybe she finally struck a chord and hit the big time.

"You know what, Diana?" Akko laughed. "I think my life is almost perfect!"

* * *

The morning after, Akko was snoring loudly into her pillow, on a springy motel bed that had a mattress with no actual bedsheets.

Her glittering costume was replaced by a loose fitting t-shirt and shorts. Her cape wrapped around her legs, and only one sock on because she had crashed before taking off the other, she was oblivious to the midday's sun shining in through the blinds.

And then her phone rang.

The cheery pop song _blared_ across the room like a thunderstrike of bubbly synth and autotune. She jumped from her bed with a startled cry. And then the cape around her thighs became taut.

Suddenly she was fumbling forward, right off the bed. Her face twacked into the carpet.

" _Gyaaoow…_ "

She writhed on the floor, trying to untangle her legs from the mess of red cloth. She kicked it off the end of her foot, and finally snatched her phone down from the nightstand.

"Hello? Hello! Who's this?"

On the other end of the line was a gruff, scratchy, man's voice. "Is this Atsuko Kagari?"

She gasped. This guy…was he the one from last night? A producer? A _talent agent?_ They must've been calling to recruit her, set up a contract. This was her big break, literally calling her.

"Y-yes! This is Atsu- I mean I'm her! Atsuko is…me."

Akko thumped the phone against her forehead. Way to make an impression, Kagari.

"Anyway, yes!" She continued, bringing it back to her ear. "This is the one and only Akko Kagari speaking! And what might I call you, my good sir?"

"This is your landlord."

"…Eh?"

"This call is to notify you of your late payment. At check-in, you gave your signature, agreeing to pay us at the end of the week, and your failure to do so will result in a £100 late fee being-"

" _Late fee?!_ But I thought-!"

"A _£100 late fee,_ " The Landlord insisted, "will be added to your bill if we do not receive payment in the next 24 hours. Continued failure to pay will result in forcible eviction. End of the week is Saturday. No exceptions."

"But that's not _fair!_ I had a show last night, I wasn't even here to pay you guys at all! Come on, I've been coming here for years, you guys gotta know I'm-!"

Click.

Akko groaned. Well, _that_ was a way to start off her morning.

(Or, noon, as the case was. How long had she slept?)

Her phone was already in her hand, so she swiped to her messages, hoping to see some good news for a change.

No new emails. Except for the three notices from the motel.

…Did the festival even pay her yet?

She slumped back to the floor. Everyone she talked to in the industry said these contract things can take time. She couldn't expect to hit the big time just overnight. But still, Akko and being impatient went together like a burger and fries.

The motel was pretty cheap, in _every_ sense of the word, but she didn't have many options to stay at either. Most motels in this price range had a strict ban on magical items which, obviously, didn't work for her.

Also meant she probably shouldn't hang around the lobby too much, or she might end up having to deal with her Landlord face to face.

"Oh well…" She pushed herself to her feet, and grabbed a cozy sweater from her dresser. "I'm only here for another week anyway..."

* * *

It was a quick flight to get some cheap takeout, eat, and then go to the Cavendish Manor. She needed to keep her mind off things for a while, and seeing as it was a little past noon now, she figured Diana had probably been working nonstop since early in the morning.

But when she was let inside the manor, the first person she met was not Diana, but rather, her aunt Daryl. Akko waved happily and walked over to greet her.

Daryl, for her part, silently lowed the tea from her lips. The look in her eyes wasn't cold or dismissive, nothing compared to the woman Akko had first met at sixteen years old. The look was more…disinterested.

"Hi, Daryl!" Akko said cheerfully. "How's your morning been?"

"Akko."

"Hope you don't mind me dropping in! I just figured I'd surprise Diana. She's still here, right?"

Daryl stared at her. "The last I heard of it, she's finishing her school work."

"Yeah, sounds like her!" Akko chuckled. "But still, sometimes it helps to have an extra ear around while you work, so I stopped by to give her a quick pick-me-up!"

"…Right."

They had to give Daryl credit; For all her vehement disagreements in the past, she had quietly accepted Diana as the head of the House. Neither of she nor Diana _wanted_ to go through another long, drawn out fight. So they both seemed content to simply let bygones be bygones, and leave the other alone.

It was a quiet, fragile sort of truce, but it was a truce nonetheless, so who could complain?

And Daryl hadn't said anything really _rude_ to Akko since the Jupiter Eclipse all those years ago. Instead of looking at Akko like a brown stain on the carpet, Akko had upgraded to being looked at like a particularly annoying pet instead.

She considered asking Daryl if she saw her show last night, but thought better of it.

"…So! Uh, do anything fun recently?"

"I did not."

"Aww. Well, you know, I guess it's good to just have some downtime! Everybody needs to relax and have a quiet day every now and then."

"…Did you _want_ something?"

"N-no, but I was…just trying to see how you were doing. I mean we've known each other a _while_ , so we're _basically_ friends, right?"

Daryl stared at her.

Akko smiled hopefully.

"…I suppose since you're at least proficient enough in the…craft you've chosen to keep yourself off the streets, then I have nothing to object to, do I?" Daryl asked.

"I…guess not?"

"Hmm." Daryl hummed. "My niece is doing school work in _one_ of these rooms, if you're so set on bothering her. I trust you can find your way around the house by yourself by this point. Just don't make a mess of it while you're here this time."

And that was the sum total of all Daryl wanted to do with her right now. Daryl brought her cup back to her lips and walked off, with her heels clicking and clacking against the polished floors.

Left alone in the room, Akko made a quiet resolution to herself yet again.

"I'm gonna win you over one of these days, Daryl…" She said with a snap of her fingers. "Just you wait."

Leaving _that_ lofty goal for another day, she continued on and eventually found Diana in the dining room, alongside her cousins Maril and Merrill. The smell of their lunch, some sort of chicken dish, still lingered in the air, but sprawled out on the table were instead thick medical books and spell tomes.

Diana smiled sweetly at her as she came in, though she remained engrossed with her school work, which wasn't all that surprising. But Merrill's expression certainly flattened when she saw her.

"Oh." Merrill said cattily. "I see _you're_ back already."

"Hi Merrill, Maril!" Akko said, more cheerfully than she really was. "Just…came by to say hi, I guess."

"I guess you can't stay away, can you? I'm sure here is much nicer than wherever you're squatting in these days, isn't it?"

Diana looked up from her work with an icy glare. "Merrill..."

Merrill scoffed.

Maril, on the other hand, carefully glanced between the three of them, before she muttered a very quiet, "Hello, Akko."

"Hey again, Maril."

Akko slipped into the seat next to her girlfriend, and scooted her chair noisily across the floor. "Need any help?"

Help was their codeword for "let me sit next to you so you can ramble at me while I'll pretend to understand." They both knew Akko didn't understand Diana's medical research any more than Diana knew the ins and outs of the entertainment business.

"Thank you, Akko." She adjusted herself, so Akko could comfortably lay on her shoulder. "I should be alright, however. Most of this should be fairly self-explanatory."

Akko looked down at Diana's paper, and made about a half attempt to read it before she came across a seven syllable word and promptly gave up.

"If you say so?"

"Are _you_ doing alright today, Akko? You look a little tense."

When she called the festival, they said they couldn't pay her until the event was completely over, which wasn't going to be for another few days. She was only holding off on telling Diana that until she could find a way to phrase it in a way where Diana _wouldn't_ try to add that problem onto her plate.

"…Yeah, mostly. Long morning. You didn't skip lunch just to work on this, right?"

"No, I only just started again a few minutes ago. I took a break to eat."

"Hey, you're learning!"

Diana snorted. "Awful girl…"

Akko leaned upwards to let Diana place a chaste kiss on her cheek. She wasn't that worried about performance stuff anyway. Things had a way of working out in the end.

"The worst." Akko agreed.

"Did I already tell you that you did a wonderful job last night?"

"Only about a hundred times. But I mean, if you _wanna_ say it again…!"

"Ah, perhaps I shouldn't, then. I would hate for your ego to get even _bigger_."

Merrill coughed loudly.

"You two know we're still _here_ , right?"

And sure enough, Maril and Merrill were still, in fact, right there across the table.

"Oh, my apologies, Merrill." Diana said. "I do hope my scandalous flirting with the girl I've been dating for half a decade did not harm your gentle sensibilities."

Merrill rolled her eyes. "What's a 'usa-chan' supposed to be anyway?"

"Pardon?"

"Her name." Merrill's stare flashed to Akko. "That's what it is, isn't it? Or at least that's what I thought I heard."

"It means bunny!" Akko explained. "See, I went through like a _bunch_ of names, but I didn't just wanna copy Shiny Chariot. There still aren't a lot of Japanese witches besides me, so I thought it was important to have the last word be Japanese."

" _Bunny._ " Merrill repeated. "So you go up there in a flashy costume and act like a bunny rabbit. And that doesn't bother you?"

"No." Akko shrugged. "It's supposed to be fun. Besides, people like it, and I like doing it. It's no big deal."

"Hrm."

" _Merrill_." Diana warned.

"What?" Merrill placed a hand over her chest. "That's not a fair question?"

"I know what you're trying to do. Do we have to do this every time she visits, or are you ever going to stop being so unnecessarily hostile?"

Diana snapped her book shut. Merrill met her glare head on. The rest of them more or less just sat there in a very uncomfortable silence.

Until Merrill stood from her seat and planted a hand on her hip.

"Right." She said, walking out the doorway without a hint of regret. "You're the matriarch now, instead of Mother. And I guess respectability doesn't count when it's your girlfriend who's pulling herself out of a hat."

Maril looked more than a little uncomfortable as her sister left, and quickly followed after her, though she paused in the doorway. She looked at Akko a long moment.

She began to say something, only to decide against it, and quickly shut the door behind her.

The two of them had their privacy again, but Diana's face was stitched into a dark frown nonetheless.

"…Unbelievable."

"Diana, it's-"

"Do _not_ say it's fine. It most certainly is _not_ fine. Every time I think I've finally reached an understanding with them…"

She huffed, and then squeezed Akko's hands apologetically.

"Forgive my cousin's behavior. And I would hardly put much stock in her, or Maril or Daryl's opinions anyway. The culture of magic _has_ changed since then, and you and I were at the forefront of that. They just refuse to accept that, no matter how blatant that fact is."

If Diana disagreed with it, it'd be a different story, but Akko didn't _mind_ that Daryl or Maril and Marrill thought she was a goofball.

She _was_ a goofball.

Half the reason she chose the bunny form to represent herself was because it was a first in a long line of embarrassing mistakes she had made. Even if no one else was in on the joke, it was important to her to have that in her name too.

"Don't you think you're being a little hard on them? They're your family."

"I'm _more_ than aware that fact."

"Families are supposed to stick together though! They're the people who are always supposed to support you and be there for you no matter what, right?"

"Akko…" Diana sighed. "It's…not that simple. It never was."

It seemed to her like it _ought_ to be.

But with Diana's mood already soured, it seemed like it would be a bad idea to press the issue any further.

Some people might ask why Akko put up with the motel with its cold showers and stingy landlords and didn't just move in with her girlfriend. (Because it's not like she didn't _want_ to.) But there were about four reasons why she didn't, and _that_ was one of them.

Her relationship with the Cavendishes was _already_ walking on eggshells. She was pretty sure popping in and saying, "Hey, guess who's moving in!" out of the blue one day was the equivalent of doing the same thing while juggling bowling balls. That were on fire. And also during an earthquake. And there would probably be snakes there too, because Daryl.

But like she already decided, _one_ day she was going to get Daryl, Maril and Merril to like her. Her career consisted of going on stage and promoting all sorts of happy-togetherness-fuzzy kind of feelings. It felt hypocritical _not_ to do the same in her personal life.

One day, she'd figure out why the Cavendishes were so darn dysfunctional, help them fix themselves, and make the whole Manor one big happy family.

…And as soon as she knew how to that, she'd gladly stick her face in that hornet nest.

For now though, she laid her head back down on Diana's shoulder and watched her write. It was comfy, plus it made Diana breathe a little easier. Life was good enough for now. She'd find a way to solve her problems another day. She had time.

As if on cue, her phone started to ring.

* * *

 _A.N. So for those who didn't catch the description update, this IS a "living together" fic. Just…y'know, eventually. Sooner than certain parties might like._

 _Also, this fic is going to update on Saturdays. And if it's not too busy, I'll also throw in a second Tuesday update as well, but Saturdays are going to be guaranteed. Check those two days if you're looking for a new chapter!_

 _(also also, since Akko's shows are a major part of this story, we'll come back to it in more interesting ways than this chapter did it, this was more to establish the general sense. NOW I'm done.)_


	3. Through the Stomach

"Are you going to answer that?" Diana asked.

"…I'm thinking about it."

Akko was trying to place the number on her phone screen, though she couldn't quite tell where she recognized it from, and she seemed too focused on ensuring she wasn't about to answer bad news to stop the incessant pop song ringing through Diana's ears.

"Akko."

"Alright, _fine_ I'm going!"

Diana gave her a long, hard look. She was really starting to cut into her study time. Akko chuckled apologetically, and retreated to another room to answer her phone.

Loathe as Diana was to admit it, she needed the quiet right now. She was still an entire chapter behind from where she had _meant_ to read to this weekend. So she did her best to crack down on work while Akko finished her phone call. After all, she had classes in the morning tomorrow, and she had a short shift at the hospital afterwards, so she only had tonight to get this done.

That said, it wasn't _complicated_ work she was doing, just some basic anatomical research on the brain's connection to the central nervous and immune systems. She had written a little about it in her AP classes, and those papers helped her accelerate from class to class faster than other students.

The topic held…personal interest for her.

Akko was on the phone for about fifteen minutes, and despite Diana trying to focus her thoughts on something as simple as the neural structure of an onocentaur and the way it's chemical composition was affected by certain proteins, she couldn't help but overhear parts.

Diana swore she heard every possible emotion in that call, from the heavy _thump_ against the floor as Akko jumped in excitement, to groans of dismay.

Eventually, Akko meandered back into the dining room, not excited, not disappointed, but merely lost in thought.

"Good news then?" Diana asked.

"Hm? Oh, I'm not…super sure, actually."

"What's the matter?"

"I mean nothing's _wrong_ , it's just that the park manager just called me. The guy who hired me to do the show last night. He wants me to go back to the festival Tuesday because he said some _guy_ or something was asking for me."

"…but that's good, isn't it? People are noticing your work."

"I think so? I'm _really_ hoping it's some reviewer or something. Maybe even someone I can schedule my next show with!"

"So what's troubling you?"

Akko crossed her arms. "The manager said I did a good job, so I asked him if there was any way I could get paid now instead of later, and he just laughed. Do we know anyone who's a lawyer?"

Diana blinked. "Are…you planning to _sue?_ "

"No, of course not! It's just that I was thinking…when I get big, I _gotta_ get better at negotiating payments and contracts and stuff."

Diana shook her head, and returned to her books, diligently highlighting and taking notes, and regretting her life choices until finally reminding herself that this was what she signed up for with grad school, after all.

Akko peeked over at the textbook.

"Diana?"

"Yes, Akko?"

"Do you ever get grossed out looking at pictures of brains all day?"

"…I'm in a medicinal program, Akko."

"Yeah but still. You're not gonna be the kind of doctor who goes cutting people open, right?

"That's true. And if you know how to conduct any sort of meaningful research without a basic knowledge of anatomy, I would love to hear it."

"You don't have to get sarcastic, I'm just asking!"

"No, I do not get grossed out at pictures of brains. Now, _please_."

"Alright, yeah. Sorry."

* * *

It took a few hours, but she was finally making headway in her work. Akko played on her phone, let Diana bounce questions off of her, took a nap (She snored, which was usually cute, unless Diana was trying to concentrate), and just generally lazed around in the dining room with her, moving from chair to chair to chair with the passing of the hour hand.

Diana _did_ appreciate the company. She loved Akko more than anyone, obviously, but that didn't mean she couldn't be distracting in all the worst ways.

And right now, she was getting stressed out. She needed a break, she had been at this for hours and barely managed more than a few pages. If she took any more breaks, she would _never_ get this done.

Out the window, the sky had taken a golden color. It might've been pretty if it didn't just make Diana feel like she was running out of time to finish this before tomorrow.

After another half-hour of nothing but uninterrupted studying, the silence was broken by Akko yet again.

"Hey, Daryl."

Daryl looked down at her. Akko had her foot hooked under the dining room table, and was rocking on two legs of the chair. Diana didn't really find it impressive. Predictably, Daryl found it even less so.

"Oh, so you're still here." Daryl said, in as close to a greeting as those two got.

Akko grimaced to herself, but Daryl merely walked right past her.

"I see you're still busy, Diana."

"Hello, Aunt Daryl."

"I don't suppose you know where Anna has gotten to? Or Carter? I've hardly seen either of them all day."

"Carter has the weekend off." Diana replied plainly. "And Anna and the others left to pick up groceries for the week. What do you need?"

"What I need is some teatime. I'm long overdue for a fresh cup."

"Tea bags are in the top left cupboard."

"I _know_ where they are." Daryl snapped. "I came to see where the maid and the chef whose salaries we pay are."

"Well, they're not here."

"Thank you for that, Dr. Cavendish."

Diana caught herself before she said anything else. Just focus on schoolwork, she told herself. Let Daryl have the last word, this was more important.

As the two of them sniped at each other over her head, Akko had been sinking lower and lower into her chair, hoping to melt into it. Only to suddenly snap up.

She leaned over and whispered to Diana. "Actually…I _just_ thought of a way to win your family's favor."

Diana's eyes widened. "Win my family's _what_ now?"

Akko bounded to her feet, and stopped Daryl before she left completely.

"I could make you guys tea if you want!"

That got both their attentions.

" _You_ make tea?" Daryl asked.

"Yeah I make tea!" Akko said confidently. "Diana likes tea, you guys all like tea, and if you're thirsty, I bet _I_ can make you all some amazing tea!"

" _You_ make tea."

"Hey, it's not like it's _hard_ or anything!" Akko huffed. "And like I said, I don't just make tea, I can make _amazing_ tea! I guarantee you're gonna be eating your words!"

"I'm not entirely certain I believe that."

"Just ask Diana, she'll vouch for me."

Daryl took a long, hard look at her niece.

"…She hardly qualifies as being an objective source."

"That's fair." Diana admitted.

Akko snapped her fingers. "Okay okay okay! Just hang on just a little bit, I got some really good sencha leaves back at my place! I'll be right back!"

With that, she quickly dashed out the door to fly back to the motel, either not noticing or not caring that neither Daryl nor Diana had actually _agreed._

But the choice was clearly out of her hands now, much to the former matriarch's displeasure. Akko had already made up her mind, and now they were all test subjects to her tea experiment, whether they liked it or not.

Daryl rubbed at her temples. "So much for a _quiet_ moment of reflection…"

Diana just went back to her book.

Fortunately for Daryl's already thin patience, it didn't take Akko long at all to return with a small tin of green tea leaves, which she proudly showed off.

The Cavendishes had more than enough tea sets, so Akko picked her favorite and began warming up some water. Setting the pot down on the stove, she quickly set up shop in the kitchen.

Akko elbowed Daryl. "Just wait for it."

She grinned confidently at the teapot. The water wasn't even warm yet.

Akko elbowed Daryl once more. "It'll _totally_ be worth it, I guarantee it."

"Don't touch me again, please."

And finally, when it came time to prepare the tea leaves themselves, she refused to let Daryl, or anyone else for that matter, see precisely _how_ she did this, which Daryl found utterly appalling.

"You gotta leave for this part." Akko told her, in no uncertain terms. "If you just wait by Diana for a bit, I'll have it done super quick!"

"B-but this is _my_ kitchen! My house! You can't just tell me-!"

"This part is a trade secret!" Akko snickered. "It's an old family recipe, and a girl's gotta keep _some_ mystery to herself!"

And Daryl was blocked off from the room for a few minutes. From the look on Daryl's face, however, Akko might as well have just banned her from the Manor's kitchen for life.

Was it _wrong_ for Diana to take some grim satisfaction in this, watching Daryl squirm?

Because on the one hand, Akko _could_ be right about her attitude; they were family. She should learn to put their differences aside and appreciate what little family she actually had left.

But on the other hand, Daryl once attacked her with actual snakes, so Diana was always looking for new, polite ways to tell her aunt to go get stuffed.

As Daryl slumped into the chair across from Diana's textbooks, Diana called upon everything she ever learned to not smirk at the pissed off scowl on her aunt's face.

"The unmitigated gall of that girl…" Daryl muttered. "Lounging around here doing nothing all day, telling me I can't go somewhere in my own home."

"It's a family recipe, Aunt Daryl." Diana said, not looking up from her reading. "Let her have her fun."

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised _you_ find this so amusing, should I?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Daryl scoffed. "The only thing I asked for is for was just a little piece and quiet to myself. And that girl seems deadest on interfering with even something as simple as that."

Diana looked up from her book.

"She's making _tea._ " Diana said. "She's preparing something, for us, out of the kindness of her heart. I would think you could appreciate at least that."

"Well! I hardly _asked_ for her to do that, now did I?"

"Perhaps she just wants to be _kind_."

"Perhaps she just needs to take a _hint_."

Diana bristled. After a moment's thought, she set aside her books, and quietly slipped into the kitchen. She did not miss the grumble from her aunt as she did so.

* * *

"I'm not looking at your family secrets, Akko." Diana said, as she entered.

Akko was currently pouring the hot water from the kettle to the cups spread across the counter.

"Huh? Oh, that part's already done, but thanks anyway!"

She was letting the water cool in the cups before she added it back into the teapot with the leaves. Absently, Diana gazed into one of the teacups. It was just hot water at this point, with nothing added yet.

"Akko…" Diana's voice was quiet, only partially because she didn't want Daryl to overhear. "…promise me you won't set your hopes too high with this."

"What do you mean?"

"With Daryl. It's nothing to do with _you,_ but…she's always been very…particular. She's not going to change her mind on a whim."

"Yeah, I know. But you get like that too sometimes, you know, and I think I won _you_ over!"

"Do I?"

"Sure!" Akko shrugged happily. "Remember when you used to tell me how dumb it was that I wanted to be like Chariot? We used to fight about stuff like that like every time we talked, Diana!"

"That's…different."

Though admittedly, Diana didn't have a good answer as to how.

"I'm not trying to discourage you, Akko." Diana laid a hand on her shoulder. "I hope you know that. I just don't want you to be disappointed."

"You worry too much, Diana! Trust me, you guys are gonna love this!"

She couldn't say she didn't admire Akko's tenacity. She hummed to herself as she poured the water back into the teapot, soaking the tea leaves, and Diana's mind returned to the silly dance they had done together in the dressing room.

The melody of Akko's voice in her ears. The warmth of her hands on her cheeks. The touch of her chest against Diana's own. It still made her heart beat embarrassingly fast.

It was just tea. But it was being made by a girl who loved her, just to make her, somehow, happier than she already was.

She just wished it all wasn't being done to try and impress Daryl and her cousins. It raised questions Diana didn't really want answered.

Akko lifted the pot to strain out the leaves, but Diana gently pushed it back down.

"Diana?" Akko cocked her head at her. "What are you doing?"

"Let it steep for just a moment longer."

"But that's gonna make it taste gross."

"It'll make it taste bitter." Diana agreed. "But Daryl generally takes her tea more bitter than most do. Her daughters, unsurprisingly, inherited her tastes. I've never seen the appeal, but if you're trying to make something to fit their liking, this will help."

"Ooh, alright! I'll try to remember that then! Thanks, Diana!"

"We've lived together here for a long time. I do know her drink preferences by now."

"What about you? You're not going to mind it being all bitter?"

"I can manage."

Deciding the tea had steeped enough, Akko lifted the pot and carried it back to the other room before the leaves soaked too long and the flavor was lost completely.

"I just know I can do this, Diana." She decided. "Even if it's not today, I'm gonna impress them, and then when you guys aren't always arguing so much, I'm gonna make you all one big, super happy family!"

That was the trouble when Akko spoke with that undefeatable spark in the timbre of her voice. Despite a lifetime of evidence pointing to the contrary, Diana found herself almost ready to believe her.

* * *

Merrill declined to partake in the tea tasting. Diana might've been more surprised if she had agreed.

There was an almost ritualistic quality as Akko served their tea for them. She'd pour just the barest amount in one cup, and then some in the other, and then the other, then back to fill more the first, until each cup was filled about halfway with the pale green liquid.

She allowed the very last drop of the tea drip from the pot to Diana's cup before she smirked.

"Ta-daaa!"

Daryl and Maril both regarded the cups in front of them with naked suspicion, eyeing the tea like Akko had placed a dead rat in front of them.

Daryl traced her finger around the edge of the cup, and then brought her finger to her face as if she expected to find incriminating evidenced imprinted on it.

She glanced up at Akko, who was puffing out her chest.

"So you…make tea." Daryl said again.

Evidently whatever fragile trust Maril had built with Akko didn't extend so far as consuming things Akko gave to her. And sure enough, neither one of them moved to take a drink.

"Er…it's not that I don't _want_ to try…this." Maril said. "But, no offense really, I grew up with very refined tastes, and…well, that's not really the type of thing I could expect you to understand."

Diana brought the cup to her nose and let the scent fill her. Grassy, and slightly citrusy.

She remembered the first time Akko had ever offered to make her this. Of course it had come four and half hours after she caused a potion to explode in Pharmaceutics class. Diana would never admit to how similar her own reaction had been when Akko set down the cup in front of her.

Akko's cheeks puffed out as she pouted. "You haven't even tried it yet!"

"…This isn't going to transform me into some horrid creature, is it?" Daryl asked, eyeing her cup.

"What a strange scenario _that_ would be." Diana commented. "I'm not even sure I can imagine such an outlandish thing."

Daryl sneered at her niece, who innocently took a sip of tea in return.

After witnessing Diana take a drink, and after _not_ witnessing Diana keel over dead, Maril decided the tea must've been safe for human consumption. She brought the cup to her lips and took a slow sip.

She seemed pleasantly surprised with the taste.

"Mmm..." Maril let out a contented sigh.

And now all eyes were on Daryl, who lifted the cup to her nose. She sniffed it once. Skeptically, she glanced up at Akko. She glanced back down at the green tea. She slowly swirled her cup around, eyeing the liquid carefully for anything out of place.

"Aunt Daryl, I _do_ believe that is tea." Diana informed her.

Oh yes, she was living for this.

Akko however, was quickly losing patience. She folded her arms tightly in front of her chest, glowering with every moment Daryl refused to even give her a chance.

"…For the record- and I'm just _saying_ here…" Akko forced out a stilted, deadpan laugh. "Only _one_ of us ever poisoned the other and it wasn't _me_ , so…!"

Daryl _finally_ drank the tea, downing a sip as quickly as she could.

Her eyes widened as the tea hit her taste buds. She pressed a finger to her lips. Whatever she had been expecting, the tea was far from it, in the best way possible.

That had been the reaction Diana had the first time she drank it too. Even bitter, it tasted wonderful. More than worth the wait it took to carefully prepare it.

"Sooo?" Akko prompted.

Daryl huffed. "It's…fine."

"Told you I knew how to do it, didn't I?"

"I said it was _fine_. Do you need it in writing?"

"I mean if you're willing to!"

Daryl's glare flashed to Diana. "Please get her away from me."

Akko giggled to herself, and quietly slipped back into the seat next to Diana. She didn't actually _say_ 'I told you so', but it was written all over her face.

Diana rolled her eyes, and laid her hand on Akko's thigh under the table.

"Thank you for the tea."

"…Yes." Daryl said begrudgingly. "I suppose after all the time you've spent around here, even you were bound to pick up _some_ manner of propriety."

"No, actually. _Baba_ \- my grandmother taught me most of this stuff."

"Did she now."

It was more of a statement than an inquiry, though Akko answered it the same regardless.

"Yep! I never really drank it as much, but when I first went to Luna Nova, she wanted me to figure out how to make jasmine and sencha tea and that kinda stuff."

"Hm."

"But I don't know why you're so surprised! Of course I know stuff about tea, I'm Japanese!"

"I'm an _Englishwoman_."

Akko didn't have a rebuttal for that, and Daryl seemed unfortunately pleased with her silence. The entire moment was a little too fragile to be truly called peaceful, and Diana worried all it would take was another word for it to shatter.

But if absolutely nothing else, Daryl calmly took another sip of tea.

"Family recipe…" She muttered to herself.

Akko was at least _content_ with this outcome. Despite all the care she had put into making it, she drunk her own tea without a moment of reverence or appreciation, just smugly enjoying the fact that everyone _else_ was appreciating it.

Diana realized it was the first time she could remember having teatime with Daryl in years.

* * *

Inevitably, Akko went back to her place for the night, though she did not leave without leaving a few things behind.

The faint scent still managed to linger in the air. Diana had neglected to bring her cup to the kitchen to be washed; on the one hand because she still had to finish reading, and for another, the smell was calming.

She could work herself to death without those moments. When she wasn't at school, she was at work. And when she wasn't at work, she was studying the things she did at school and work.

And as of yet, she never came across a scenario where she wasn't at school, wasn't at work, and wasn't studying. She took her calming moments wherever she could get them.

Anna entered the room with a respectful nod towards the master of the house.

"Pardon me, Lady Diana? I do hope I'm not troubling you."

"Not at all. Is something the matter?"

"I believed I should I inform you that _this_ was found in the kitchen."

Anna handed her the tin of sencha leaves that Akko had rushed home to get.

"She must've forgotten it after she prepared tea for us…"

"I was quite surprised to hear about _that_." Anna mused. "Though not quite as surprised as to hear it was quite the success."

Her weekend had already been marred by more breaks than she _should've_ taken, but Diana got up from her chair, and walked up to her bedroom. Anna followed dutifully behind her, though by now she already knew where Diana was taking the tin.

Piled on the corner of one of Diana's dressers was a small collection of seemingly random things; A rain jacket, a flowery star-studded dress, half a bottle of shampoo, a scented candle, winter boots, some lip balm, and a bra.

All of it was, of course, Akko's. Things that she had left behind over the years she had visited. Diana preferred to keep it all in one place, so that it would be easy to find something whenever Akko need to go back to Japan.

Akko was forgetful, but given how she never took all of it when she left for home, always leaving just a few things behind, it was clear there was something more to it than that.

Something about that habit made Diana hopeful.

Anna arched a brow. "She certainly leaves a mess, doesn't she?"

"That she does. Perhaps when she returns home, she'll take a few more things back with her this time."

"If not, perhaps we should simply find these a more _permanent_ home in one of our guestrooms?"

Diana smiled sadly. "Anna…I just don't know if the timing would be right. I'm not sure if she, or I…or…any of us are ready for that. Not yet, at least."

"Forgive me for speaking out of turn, milady. Merely an observation of how cluttered this room is becoming, nothing more."

Anna's voice was ever so slightly teasing.

"Of course." Diana said. "…But…yes. Perhaps one day."

It was a small habit of Diana's to keep the clothes neatly laundered and folded. She'd never know if Akko would notice. Subtly was not her strongest suit, in showing affection or otherwise, but Diana didn't mind doing it. It saved Akko a few moments of trouble, so it made Diana happy.

But until then, she set the tin atop the clothes where it was easily visible, and it was back to work for her. If she finished all her reading tonight, she could probably turn in early and be in bed just past midnight.

She settled back down with her textbook, and smiled at the empty teacup sitting next to it.

"Silly girl."

* * *

 _A.N now that all that boring setup is outta the way have some actual fluff for once_


	4. Fresh Hires

The day Akko finally got her sponsorship was the start of one of the most exciting periods of Diana's entire life.

The day was actually pretty boring until around 5 o'clock.

Diana's week had been quiet. She hadn't had the chance to so much as call Akko since their teatime experiment last weekend, much less see her in person, something that bothered her, since Akko would likely be flying home the day after tomorrow.

She planned to make time then. For now, she was just finishing up her classes for the evening.

The Le Fay Technical Institute of Magicraft was far from as prestigious as Luna Nova, but she liked it well enough. They had a more modern approach to magic, which was something she might've rejected as a teenager.

Most of that attitude was whittled away in the years since the Grand Triskellion. Croix's cure for Wagandea's Disease, along with several other incidents the Nine New Witches got involved in, had opened her eyes to how unexplored the field of mixing modern technology and medicine with traditional magic was.

This school gave her the chance to do that.

On a _personal_ level…she also liked Le Fay Tech because she was currently attending with Jasminka.

Just about every day, Diana and Jasminka met up to have lunch together, and then in evenings, they met up again before they both left for home. Today was no different.

"It's more than just a cooking show, Diana." Jasminka was telling her. "The host is so sweet, I think you'd like him. You should really watch it."

"Maybe I would…but I hardly have time to keep up with such a thing at the moment."

Jasminka lightly giggled. "You're _always_ so busy."

"So everyone tells me." Diana sighed. "But I don't see anything wrong with being productive."

"Just make sure you don't let your brain turn to mush~"

The gentle melody of Jasminka's singsong voice was enough to make Diana smile.

Out of the Nine New Witches (and Hannah and Barbara), only Jasminka and Diana _needed_ a post-bachelor's degree. Whereas Diana needed a license to work with medicinal magic, Jasminka was enrolled in education administration.

Jasminka had changed very little since their academy days, appearance wise. She was dressed much nicer too, with a purple jacket the complimented her far nicer than Luna Nova's uniforms, and one braid strewn over her shoulder.

Though she _had_ become more outspoken as an adult. Part of being a headmistress meant making sure you got your way.

"Still…" Jasminka said to her. "If everyone _is_ saying it, don't you think they all might have a point? If you're always so busy, life's going to pass you by…"

"I prefer it this way." Diana said absently. "Helping others before yourself is the mission statement of the House of Cavendish, after all."

"I think Amanda would say…you shouldn't forget your obligation to help yourself too."

"Yes, well…Amanda isn't here, so let's try to enjoy that fact for a little while longer, shall we?"

Jasminka laughed at that.

Truth be told, Diana _did_ know the value of these moments with one of her old friends.

Diana recalled the time after their chaotic graduation ceremony, when most of the rubble was being cleaned and Interpol was clearing out. Jasminka went up to Holbrooke, shook her hand, and told her the next time they saw each other, Jasminka would be taking her job.

Sucy had snickered about the face Holbrooke had made for days on end. Since then, Diana and Jasminka had grown a little closer.

After a long day of classes, Diana often looked forward to their conversations. They'd talk, debate some ideas, just catch up. It was a nice change of pace from the rest of her life.

Jasminka poked her arm, and directed her attention to someone across the campus grounds. "Oh, isn't that Akko over there?"

Diana glanced up. Sure enough, there was her girlfriend, running right at them. It was pretty rare to see her come down to school, though Diana was not given much time to speculate if something was actually wrong.

"Diana!" cried Akko as she leapt into Diana's arms.

" _Oof!_ " cried Diana as she was tackled by the full weight of her girlfriend.

"Aw." Jasminka smiled, finding the whole interaction to be terrifically nostalgic.

Diana suddenly found Akko's face was buried in her shoulder, gripping the fabric of her jacket tightly. Her breathless laughs and hollers filled Diana's ears.

"DianaaaaOhmy _gosh_ youaren'tgonnabelievewhathappened!"

"Uh…t-take a breath." Diana tapped her back. "I can't quite understand you."

"R-right! Right!" Akko nodded. "But I can't help it! I'm just…you aren't gonna believe it, Diana! I have _such_ amazing news and oh my gosh I _had_ to tell you right away! I was just so excited!"

"I could tell."

Akko laughed, and gave her a squeeze.

It was easy to forget how all her performance training kept her in shape, right up until her arms were clamped around her. Akko's soft features belayed the fact that she could _easily_ sweep Diana off her feet, despite Diana having a good seven centimeters over her.

She seemed half tempted to do just that, but fortunately, Diana's gentle tone kept her from getting _too_ excitable. She laid her hands on the shorter girl's shoulder.

"So what's this all about then?"

"Is everything okay?" Jasminka asked.

"Oh! Hi Jazzy!" Akko mercifully released Diana from her grip, and turned to the other voice. "I didn't notice you there!"

"No worries." Jasminka hummed. "Did something good happen today?"

"Did something good happen?" Akko repeated. "What _happened_ was, today I just got _hired!_ "

Diana's eyes widened. With her hands on Akko's shoulders, she turned her around to face her directly.

"Wait…you got a sponsorship?"

"Yes!"

"You're going to be a full time performer?" Diana's expression lit up.

" _Yes!_ "

"That's…that's wonderful, Akko!"

When Akko suddenly surged forward again to embrace her, Diana was right on the same page, and caught her easily. Akko's breathless laughter started over again, and Diana found herself grinning along.

Jasminka (who would later profess to feeling very much like a third wheel) clapped for them.

"Congratulations! I saw your show on WitchTube, and I thought it was so nice. I'm happy other people thought so too!"

Akko nodded. "And now, you're gonna be able to see even _more_ shows like that! Because after today, _I'm_ a professional."

"So tell us, who hired who?" Diana asked. "Is it a good company?"

"That's what I came down here to tell you guys!" Akko said, gearing up to tell her story. "Okay, so here's what happened!"

* * *

 **~~ What Happened Approximately Ninety-Four Minutes Ago, According to One Atsuko Kagari ~~**

* * *

So there Akko was, back on the festival grounds where she had played last weekend. And she was there because a little while ago, she got a call saying someone wanted to meet with her here and talk business, right?

She was thinking to herself that she was really hoping for some good news, because she was a little bummed out when she thought having to fly back to Edogawa soon.

"Oh boy!" Akko thought to herself. "I sure am hoping for some good news, because I'm a little bummed out when I think about having to fly back to Edogawa soon!"

Actually, she was sorta bad at travel planning even though she basically always went back and forth between England and Japan, and she _swore_ no matter how thoroughly she planned it, she always ended up forgetting stuff, but that's not the point.

 _Anyway_ so the fair was all cleaned up and everything, and everything was put away, so Akko went to the park manager's office and there was the guy who hired her for the show, but there was also this _other_ guy there in a really nice looking suit.

And so the guy in the suit went up to shake Akko's hand, and he was like, "Hello, I'm a business man or whatever and I represent some company!"

Akko said, "That's cool, anyway what do you want?"

So the guy was like, "I was in the audience at your last super amazing show and I was reviewing it and I thought it was really super amazing!"

And Akko was like, "Wow, that's great! I'm really happy to hear that!"

And then the guy was like, "But to be honest I thought your show could _also_ be better!"

Which made _Akko_ really disappointed, right? Because for a second, she was wondering if this was one of those times when a reviewer wanted to talk to her personally just to say they hated her show, which actually happened more than once, actually.

 _But then_ (get this), the business dude said, "Now your Glimmer Usa-chan act…you pull in good numbers for an independent performer, and when I was at your last show, I saw how many people thought you were the most incredible performer ever. But what I think would _help_ you is better management."

"Better management? What does that mean?"

"It means we think if you let us sponsor a performer as incredible as you, we're going to make it even more incredible than ever before, and you can live your dream of being like Shiny Chariot except make it even _bigger!_ "

And Akko got _crazy_ excited, and she said, "That would be the coolest thing!"

And _he_ said, "I also agree that this would be the coolest thing!"

So then he handed her an actual business card, like the kind of nice looking card you see on television, and he went on and on with these really long-winded introductions, talking about this entertainment industry he worked with, and the values they represented, that kinda stuff, right?

Anyway even though she got crazy excited, she actually played it totally cool and didn't freak out at all, because she didn't wanna make a bad impression by like jumping and screaming on this guy, that'd be obnoxious.

So she was playing it cool and she said, "So I'm gonna work for you guys from now on?"

And he said, "We're going to write up a contract and set up another meeting soon but we think your act is a good fit for our company!"

"This is such a good deal for us both, and I'm definitely gonna be the best show your company ever had!"

"That sounds good, and I think you should run home and tell your girlfriend about this right away!"

"I am definitely gonna go that! But first I'm gonna be calm and thank you so I don't weird you out."

And anyway they talked about some legal stuff or whatever and _basically_ they decided they'd figure some of that stuff out when they had her come in and meet the actual boss of the company whose name she couldn't really remember.

But more important than that, at one point (and he literally said this, not even joking) he said, "Glimmer Usa-chan's about to be the _biggest_ name in entertainment!"

* * *

"…And basically, right after that, I ran straight here to tell you guys!"

And with that, Akko's story was concluded. She finally took a moment catch her breath, still flushed with pride, and beside herself with excitement.

Jasminka and Diana, however, shared a bewildered look between the two of them. After a long moment of thinking, there was really only one thing Diana could say.

"Well _that_ was…creative."

"I didn't know the entertainment world worked like that…" Jasminka added thoughtfully. "But I liked the voice you did for the business man!"

Akko stuck out her lower lip, squinting at their expressions. "You guys don't seem that excited anymore…"

Diana crossed her arms. "Akko, do you…actually not remember the _name_ of the man who you just agreed to work for?"

"I _do_ know his name!" Akko insisted. "I just…don't really…I mean look, he gave me a _business card!_ "

She fished it out from her jacket pocket, and pushed the slip of paper in her direction.

The card had the contact information for a Mr. Morray, an employee of a company called _Lā Kahiko Entertainment_.

Was this card laminated? Diana had to admit, that was a little impressive.

Jasminka looked at the card over her shoulder. "Kahiko…I think I heard that name watching TV the other night…"

"I looked them up on my phone!" Akko said. "They did a _bunch_ of stuff over the years. You know that one really old rock star, Marjolaine? It said _these_ guys funded one of her world tours when she was really big! And now they wanna hire _me!_ "

Diana was _hardly_ one for rock and roll, but she vaguely recalled Marjolaine. The witch had been an alumni of Luna Nova, and one of the judges at that first Samhain Festival.

She wondered if that was just a coincidence, or if Marjolaine had said something. Either way, while it was impossible to say what kind of people they were, this at least meant they were legit, which solved most of Diana's fears.

"Can you believe it?" Akko bounced on her heels. "This is my big break! I'm gonna be a real star! I'm gonna get to make even more shows! And I'm gonna play in big places, and there's gonna be posters and fans and I'm gonna be famous and-!"

"Slow down, Akko." Diana smiled. "Your shows can wait for you to _breathe_."

"How can I slow down? This is the big chance I've been working for my whole stupid life! I can't stop smiling! My face feels so _good!_ "

Diana couldn't help herself. Akko's face was red from all her breathless ranting, and she was beaming ear to ear. It was incredibly cute.

She cupped Akko's chin and brought her lips forward. Akko gladly met her halfway, mumbling bubbly sounds against Diana's mouth. All it did to serve was make Diana feel even lighter.

As soon as Akko's mouth was freed from her lips, she giggled once more. Diana couldn't help but run a hand through the short, brown tresses. Akko leaned into the touch, not unlike the way a puppy does to the hand petting it.

"I'm so proud of you." Diana said. "I always knew you could do it. It was just a matter of time."

"Yeah…" Akko said. "But you know what the _best_ part is? Working with these guys, I'm gonna finally make enough to get a _real_ place down here, all year."

The possibilities of _that_ were tantalizing.

"I can live with that…"

Akko's arms snaked up Diana's shoulders. "No more having to miss you…no more running back and forth…no more having to do the math in my head every time I call you from home to make sure it's not like 1 AM here…"

"You know I don't mind when you do that."

"That's because you never sleep, you workaholic." Akko teased.

"We're talking about _your_ work here, not mine."

Akko stood and kissed her again, before quickly detangling herself from her arms, much to Diana's disappointment.

But then again, it _did_ remind her the two of them weren't alone right now.

"A-anyway, sorry, Jasminka!" Akko scratched the back of her neck. "I didn't mean to get all mushy in front of you."

"I'm used to you two by now." Jasminka assured her. "You know…maybe we should all go get something nice and fluffy to eat and celebrate! I know Amanda and Hannah have been wanting to see everyone again."

"Yeah, that'd be great!" Akko nodded. "Now I got left to do is find an apartment around here. Maybe something in the city!"

Jasminka tilted her head. "You're not gonna need any help moving?"

"Oh, not yet!" Akko laughed. "I'm not sure where I'm gonna move into."

"What places are you looking at?"

"Nothing yet, actually! Never even had the chance."

"So where are you staying in the meantime?"

"…Meantime?"

"Oh, I guess you renewed your stay with the motel you're staying at, right?"

Akko paused. Her smile suddenly disappeared.

Diana's expression flattened. "…You didn't."

"Um."

" _Akko…_ "

"W-well it's not _all_ my fault!" Akko jumped to defend herself. "I mean I was late on payments like a bunch of times, so it's not like the landlord would've even _let_ me renew even…if I…"

She trailed off, as if the realization finally hit her that this wasn't actually helping to prove her innocence. Frantically she began to pace back and forth.

"Agh, what am I gonna _do?!_ " She cried. "I didn't think I needed to think about it! I thought it would just…!"

"Akko, it's alright, just calm down."

"I'm so dumb. I didn't think about this…" Akko ran her hands through her hair. "Oh man, I'm gonna be _homeless!_ "

Diana took hold of the shorter girl by the shoulders, bringing her pacing to a stop. Akko was still too animated from finally having _good_ news for a change, her excitement had simply plummeted in the wrong direction.

"Just _breathe_ , Akko. You're not dumb, and you're _not_ gonna be homeless."

Dutifully, Akko forced herself to inhale, and exhale. Diana gently brushed her shoulders until she caught her breath and managed to stand still.

"Alright…" Akko mumbled. "But what am I gonna do now?"

"I don't know, but if you'll stop and work with me for a moment, we can work something out. This is hardly the worst spot we've been in."

Akko hung her head. "Ugh…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wig out on you guys…I was just…so excited, and…"

"You deserve to feel excited about it." Diana told her. "You worked hard for this, you _should_ be proud of yourself."

"I just never thought about what I'd do if it finally happened, you know? I thought I needed to strike while the iron was hot. That's the saying, right? This was finally happening, and I didn't wanna let it slip, so I just…I didn't think."

Diana tapped her chin for a moment. "Well…you _do_ still have the motel for another night. And you do have your job, so money isn't a _long-term_ issue."

Akko nodded mechanically.

"You still have plenty of things going for you." Diana said. "This is…a setback, but you still have your dream job now, don't you? Don't let this hamper your excitement."

"I _am_ still excited…" Akko said. "I mean it's like one of those things where it's hard to believe it's even happening. You don't even really _think_ about it, you just… _do_."

The corner of Akko's lips twitched, and she bashfully fidgeted with her hands, playing with her skirt.

Diana's stomach turned. Now she just felt worse for chastising her. This was a moment that should've been one of the happiest of Akko's life. All her work to please the crowds, to impress talent agents, to earn a smidgen more respect from Diana's family members, and all Diana could say was…

Without warning, Diana suddenly reached down and took Akko's hands in her own.

"Move in with me."

"What…?"

"You…" Diana steeled her nerves. "You can come live at the Manor, with me. You'll move in, and I'll help take care of you. It's the _least_ I can do."

"I…" Akko shook her head. "I can't do that!"

"Why not?" Diana pressed. "We certainly have more than enough guestrooms to accommodate you. You'd hardly be a bother. Not to mention, cut down on your expenses, and you'd have room to practice your routines. It'd be perfect."

"But Diana..." Akko chewed on her lower lip. "I mean… well, I _want_ to..."

"You do?"

"Of course I do! But…I'd feel like I'm taking advantage of you. You have such a big house, and it's an _awesome_ place to live, and…I mean I've almost been evicted from a motel like _twice_."

"Don't speak like you haven't earned this. You have Beatrix's blessing. You've helped our family time and time again, and you've _certainly_ saved the life of its youngest daughter on multiple occasions."

"Ehhh…" Akko made a face. "I kinda put it in danger more than once too…"

"Precisely. We're a team, and more than that, I'm your girlfriend. You shouldn't have to worry about deserving the most basic hospitality from me."

Akko searched her expression, and her lips parted.

But she quickly shook her head and cast her gaze downward.

"I don't know…"

"…I-if you're truly not comfortable, that's fine. I'll help you figure something out in the meantime. But just know, if you _are_ ready…then you've more than earned a place with us." In a much quieter voice, Diana added, "…with me."

Akko glanced back up, and bit her lip. Diana could see the gears of her mind working.

She couldn't explain why she suddenly felt so anxious about the idea of Akko _not_ being comfortable with this. Was _Diana_ ready for this? Probably not. But now the question was already out there.

Shouldn't she admire Akko for thinking it over, for considering the possibilities? There were a number of things they have to be concerned about. Diana had listed a few them to Anna just the other day.

But right now, she knew what her heart wanted, and it _really_ needed Akko to say yes.

When Akko finally spoke at last, Diana waited on every syllable.

"…okay." She said. "But I wanna _contribute_ while I'm staying here, okay? Like…pay rent or utilities. Just… _something_ so I'm not just living off of you guys."

Diana's face lit up. "So…so you'll do it?"

"If you're sure it's alright, then…yeah." Akko nodded. "…I'll move in with you!"

Diana's heart must've skipped a beat.

"R-right!" Diana beamed. The tips of her ears turned red. "It's more than alright. And if you're worried about contributing, it shouldn't be hard to…find something. I can arrange that."

Akko giggled. "T-that felt weird to say out loud…is that weird?"

"No, I understand! I do. D-do you need to go back to your place and pick up your belongings? I can help you move them in, if you need to."

"Wait, do you think I should I move out _tonight?_ "

"W-well, obviously you don't have to, but…if you _wanted_ to, I'd be more than happy to…"

* * *

As for Jasminka…

Diana and Akko talked over the details, oblivious to her humming a little ditty to herself. As their friend, seeing the couple hash things out, and especially seeing how anxious they both were to begin their lives together, made her very happy.

But as someone enrolled in too many psych classes for her own good, she couldn't help but think things during her daily talks with Diana.

Not that she _meant_ to psychoanalyze. It just happened sometimes. Little concepts here and there that cropped up as Diana talked about her exhausting work load and daily occurrences.

Currently, her private assessment of Diana Cavendish was, " _Needs a Wife_ ", so currently, she was feeling pretty pleased with herself.

* * *

 _A.N. so I guess you can guess where we're gonna be next time, right? Akko's actually gonna move in for real! Hope she's ready for THAT…_

 _"lā kahiko" is Hawaiian, bee-tee-dubs. Its meaning, if you're curious, is the exact opposite of the words "luna nova"_


	5. The Pleasantries of Aristocracy

Today, Akko decided, was going to be the start of a brand new chapter in her life.

It was a testament to how excited she was for today that she didn't put off her packing until the last second. This morning, she jumped out of bed bright and early, at 11:45, eager to start the day and prepare. She managed to get all her clothes and her performance gear stuffed, packed, and bagged. It gave her plenty of time to scarf down a quick meal and await Diana's arrival.

Today was the day she moved into Cavendish Manor.

And it felt like this moment had taken _forever_ to get here.

This was going to be a huge change. She wasn't sure she felt this restless since that first day she crash-landed into Luna Nova, all those years ago. It hadn't been her original plan for her living situation, but how could she say no? Among everything else, what performer _didn't_ dream of living in a huge mansion, rubbing elbows with the finest? Considering she did most of her past gigs either out of motel rooms or her dad's car…

She felt like she had been sitting here bouncing her leg for an hour by the time she finally heard the knock at the door. Diana was outside, waiting with her broom. She looked at her and smiled.

"Good afterno- _oh!_ " She stumbled back slightly as Akko bowled her over in a quick hug.

"What the heck took you so long? You're usually super early for these things!"

Gently, and with the utmost affection, Diana forcibly removed Akko from her person. She took a moment to straighten out Akko's collar, which she herself hadn't even noticed was misaligned.

"I _am_ early."

Akko glanced at her phone to learn that Diana had, in typical fashion, arrived about 20 minutes before she said she would.

"Well, whatever! C'mon, help me get this stuff, I wanna get back to your place before it gets too late!"

Diana poked her head into the room, and admired how she had gotten everything ready so fast. By the time she stood her broom up and was prepared to actually help, Akko had already been in and out several times, stacking luggage outside.

"You're in high spirits today."

Akko looked up at her curiously.

"I'm glad," Diana assured her. "You seemed hesitant last night."

"It was just sudden, that's all. It's kind of a big deal, for me."

"You know nothing is going to change between us, right?"

" _Everything's_ going to change from here on out! This is a huge step for us. It's gonna be just like back in school, when we could just walk across one building and that'd be the farthest we'd have to go."

"I'm not certain I could relate to that. You always seemed to find ways to get _out_ of school."

"Hey, I graduated, didn't I?"

"No thanks to your attendance record."

"You didn't get perfect attendance either, you know!"

Diana smiled just a touch more broadly at her.

"…Okay fine, so it was kinda my fault you didn't get that, but you still didn't!"

"I always do seem to find myself risking my neck for you. At least now, I'll know where it is most of the time."

It took them more time to secure all of Akko's bags to Diana's broomstick than it had for her to pack them. It was a far cry from the standardized brooms of Luna Nova, and it was more than sturdy enough to support all the weight the two of them had tied to it. Ironically, the broom Akko used in her shows was tied to it as well. It was too light and _much_ to valuable to risk warping the frame.

At Diana's behest, she made one last quick run through of the room, making sure she had all her cables, brushes, and anything else that was easily forgotten. But she had been thorough this morning, out of anticipation more than anything else.

"Are you ready?" Diana asked, somewhat pensively. "Not just for this, but…for everything to change, like you said?"

"Sure, I'm ready. Is something wrong?"

"I was just thinking last night, that's all. Believe it or not, I've actually been excited for this for…an embarrassingly long time, the idea of you and I, together on a permanent basis. I think every holiday we took back then, I found the distance unbearable."

Akko felt her heart skip a beat. "Really…?"

"The heart wants what it wants, and mine has always wanted you closer to me. But I think when I was going through it in my head last night, I was worried that now that's finally happening, it…wouldn't live up to my expectations."

"Aww, Dianaaaa! You had high expectations?" Akko swooned. The inquisitive eyebrow arching up Diana's forehead made her zip it up. "… _eh_ , s-sorry! Sorry."

"It's fine." Diana said, barely even perturbed. "I suppose though…I had always seen the idea of moving in together as a romantic gesture of some kind. An admission of trust, or a declaration, that sort of thing."

"And not me being dumb and accepting a job without having a place to live?"

"You're not dumb, but yes."

"I think you're worrying too much! Whatever happens, it's gonna blow both our expectations outta the water. And when it does, we'll handle it. You said it yourself, we're a team!"

Diana smiled. "…Yes. You're right."

"Like always, right?"

"Hm…" Diana turned to her broom. "Out of love, I shall not comment on that one."

Akko snorted.

The last of the preparations were done, and it had only taken a short bite out of the afternoon. The only thing still keeping her here was the need to return her key and balance her bill at the front desk. When she returned, Diana had climbed aboard her broom.

" _Tia Freyre_."

As the broom rose, Diana cast a glance over to ensure the cords holding her luggage were holding. Satisfied, she scooted forward, silently beckoning Akko to ride with her. With a bounce in her step, the young performer stepped forward.

And then…she paused.

She took one last look at the place, the building where she had stayed on-again and off-again since graduation. One last look, before this chapter of her life was closed.

The motel was…a little gross, if she was being honest. And the showers never got hot, and the less said about the smells, the better.

But there was a nice community here. Magical folk like herself always ended up in places like this, with low costs and an open atmosphere. She met the nicest family of goblins the other day, and even offered to be a reference for the father when he applied for a job at Luna Nova. Not to mention the guy whose brother in law was a centaur. Some of the stories he told her were things that had never crossed her mind. They were just chance meetings, nothing she ever thought to mention or linger on. Until now, now that it would all be over.

It was another small reason that had always made her hesitate. Diana had a point; Akko thought this would be more meaningful too. She really wanted to _earn_ this, not have it handed to her.

She shook her head. '… _No, I'm being silly_.'

Cool mansion, interview with a sponsor in a few days, hot girlfriend waiting for her.

Nice.

She hopped up on the back of Diana's broom, snuggled in against her back, and then at last, they rose. The small English town disappeared beneath the haze of clouds beneath them. Back to back, Akko kicked up her feet, and lowered her head so Diana's hair wouldn't obstruct her view on their trip.

Towards their new home.

"I've already taken the liberty of informing Anna that you'll be needing a bed," Diana said. Akko could feel the muscles in her back move as she spoke. "She moved a few of your possessions that you had left behind to a guest room."

"Is it the one I like? With the-?"

"With the view of the lake, yes."

"But you know, the rest of my stuff's back in Japan. I'm not actually sure how I'm supposed to get it all the way over here. Because a lot of it is…big." Akko poked at her suitcase with her shoe.

"Your home's not exactly on a Ley Line," Diana agreed. "Perhaps your parents could think of a more mundane solution?"

"Oh my god, I still gotta tell my parents! My mom is gonna flip out when she hears about this!"

"I'm sure she'll be thrilled. But either way, you certainly have all the time you need to get settled. Just let me know what I can do to make your transition easier. If you need anything in the interim, I'm sure I can find something for you."

' _She's really going all out with this,_ ' Akko giggled to herself. ' _Guess she wasn't kidding!_ '

She let that feeling carry her for the rest of the trip. She had to make sure Diana's expectations were filled, and she had to figure out how to lug her favorite possessions 10,000 kilometers. It was an exciting set of problems to have.

It was a long flight, with all the weight slowing them down, but by the time the horizon was turning orange, they could see the looming walls and sprawling courtyard of Cavendish Manor peeking through the clouds. Steadily, they glided down towards the front steps, and came to a hover in front of the old wooden doors.

Diana gracefully swung her leg over and stepped down. She began carefully unfastening the luggage from the broom, with the intention of carrying them in, like a proper lady.

Akko bounced to the ground, kicking up dirt as she cut Diana off. "You don't have to worry! I'll get it!"

She had an oversized laundry bag, a suitcase, a purse, and her performance gear separate in a duffel bag. She slung the latter's strap over her shoulder, and quickly ran into the problem that she did not have enough hands to carry the rest of it, at least in a way that wasn't awkward.

"Why don't you just use your wand?"

Akko had to admit, that was a very valid question to ask, considering she was a full-fledged witch by this point in her life. "Um…So I know it's in _one_ of these bags. I just kinda forgot which one."

Diana hummed. She, of course, had hers collapsed in her back pocket. "Very well then."

With a quick flick of the wrist, the wand extended, and with another in the opposite direction, she conducted a simple levitation charm. The unfastened bags lifted off the ground, and own their own, began to shuffle forward.

"…Show-off."

"It would be unbecoming of me to force my esteemed company to carry her own things. This, however, was just the fastest way."

"Still." Akko said. "…thanks, Diana."

She took a step back to allow her laundry bag to waddle past her shins and join the rest of her things in line.

Diana stepped to her side. "Now then, if you'll allow me…"

She bent her elbow, and offered Akko her arm.

"Diana?" Akko blinked at her. "What are you…?"

"Indulge me, please." She stood like a proper aristocrat, perfectly poised and dignified. Save for the tiniest hint of a smirk she was trying to hide behind her lips. "It's only right that I give you a proper welcoming."

Now she wanted to escort her through the threshold? If she was trying to make Akko feel special, it was working a little _too_ well.

She hooked her arm around Diana's elbow, biting her lip to stop from grinning stupidly. The heiress kept her chin held high and walked her forward. In a completely unnecessary flourish, she waved her wand once more, and the doors to the House of Cavendish parted open with the creak of heavy wood.

The light of the evening sun shined through the Manor's high windows, which generations ago had been angled in just such a way to allow the beams of light reflected off the polished floors and filter through the entryway, to spectacular effect.

The grand foyer was bathed in an opulent, golden glow, like something out of a dream or a magazine. Akko's eyes wandered, suddenly taking in the mansion for the very first time again. Diana walked them in slowly, savoring every second of the moment. Attention was one thing, but Akko was not used to being treated like a proper lady.

"Now that you're to be a proper member of this household, you should be welcomed in a manner that truly befits the House of Cavendish. It's not every day we have such an endearing, beautiful young woman joining us."

"…this is _not_ fair."

"How so?"

"You're trying to embarrass me. I'm supposed to be the one to fluster you in this relationship. You're stepping in on my territory, and I don't like it."

"I would never disturb the natural order of things, my love." Diana replied evenly. "But that said, I was thinking, I should have something special prepared for dinner tonight. And perhaps we'll have some candles lit, since it _is_ an occasion."

A completely undignified giggle escaped Akko. Her cheeks were positively glowing as she ducked her head down. "N-no! That's too much!"

"Oh? You haven't even let me get to the part about drawing you a bath."

"You're enjoying this too much!"

"What can I say?" Diana's expression was too self-aware to be called innocent. "To borrow a phrase, I would've liked to make someone's heart go…how is it said, _doki doki no waku waku_?"

Akko's gaze snapped back to her. Diana conspicuously turned her head.

She was smiling. Akko was sure of it. She was definitely smiling and she didn't even have the _decency_ to look her in the eye while she did it.

"…I'm gonna hit you."

Diana tutted. "So violent."

Akko leaned upwards to peck at her lips. Diana gratefully reciprocated, pulling the shorter woman closer and guiding her hand towards her wavy blonde tresses. There was an uncharacteristic clinginess in the deepening kiss that Akko had to admit, drove her nuts. As they parted, Diana gazed at her with soft, blue eyes.

"…Welcome home, Akko."

"You just wanted to say that, didn't you?"

"Mmm. Perhaps."

Akko was _definitely_ going to get her back for this.

The last of her bags shimmied through the entryway and came to rest upon the floor. It was only then that the two of them noticed Anna, who dutifully closed the doors behind them. Diana quickly stepped back, with the slightest tint of pink to her face.

"Pardon the intrusion," Anna frowned slightly. "But I see you've both arrived safely. Welcome home, milady."

"H-hi Anna!"

"…Hello, Miss Akko," she said, before turning back to Diana. "I must inform you that Lady Daryl has had a rather long day. I'm uncertain how…receptive she is feeling. How would you prefer that I announce this?"

"You, uhh, needn't worry," Diana readjusted her hair. "I believe I can talk to my aunt just fine."

"Very well," Anna nodded. "It's nice to see you being quick and decisive about this, Lady Diana."

"Thank you, Anna."

"Because in regard to other recent decisions, I'm not certain either of those adjectives hold true."

" _Thank you_ , Anna."

Akko waved. "By the way, you don't have to worry about my bags, I'll get them myself in just a minute!"

"…Very good, Miss Akko."

Akko began digging through her purse on the floor, vaguely certain she had placed her wand in there last night. She certainly was not planning to carry heavy bags up two flights of stairs if she didn't have to.

So she wasn't really paying attention as Merrill, Maril, and their mother all trickled into the room. She didn't notice the twin's shared befuddlement as Akko unloaded the random contents of her purse onto their floor, nor did she witness the sharp eye contact between Diana, and Daryl.

Diana spoke very deliberately, and even more delicately. "Aunt Daryl, I'm glad you're here. Anna tells me you've had a trying day?"

"What in the world is all of this?" Daryl narrowed her eyes at the mess being unfolded in front of her.

"I see your girlfriend is being her usual self." Merrill smirked beneath her hand, watching as Akko grumbled. It was not at her, but rather at her purse, for not containing her wand. She assumed it might be still attached to her shorts from yesterday, which meant the laundry bag.

"She's just looking for something she misplaced." Diana explained.

Daryl folded her arms across her chest. "I take it it's about time for her to head back where she came from, is that right?"

"In a manner of speaking. The truth is, we were hoping to speak with you."

"And what do you and Miss Kagari need with me?" Daryl's voice was laced with suspicion. She peered over Diana's shoulder. "And is she…alright? She's making a mess of my home."

Akko was only half paying attention, especially with her head halfway into her bag. ' _Where the heck is my wand? I_ know _I had it before I went to bed…_ '

"If she's looking for her tea set from a week ago," Daryl said, "it should be stored in the usual guest room. But I assume you knew that."

Akko glanced up from her laundry. Was that really only a few days? It felt like a muchlonger time. ' _Oh well._ _It's either at the bottom of the duffle bag or not at all_.'

Diana jumped on the chance. "It was a lovely tea ceremony, wasn't it? It's not often we may drink something straight from a culture as rich in history as Japan."

Daryl made a face. "I…suppose that's true, yes."

"It was quite kind of her."

Daryl made a dismissive noise, though there was a thoughtfulness to her expression.

"Now that I mention it, it's getting to be that time of day. Why don't I prepare something for us?"

"I suppose that would be…" Daryl began, before her gaze hardened. "Wait. Why?"

Diana took a breath. "Something…was brought to my attention at school last night. I was hoping that we might be able to discuss it. I'd like it if you two were there as well, Merrill and Maril."

The twins looked mildly surprised at that. Daryl just looked more annoyed.

"Tell me it's not something that's going to cause our bills more grief. Or if it is, don't tell me at all."

"It's nothing like that, I can assure you," Diana replied. "Though there are a few concerns to be addressed, and it would hardly be conductive to blurt them out just standing-"

"Found it!"

Akko victoriously held up her wand from her suitcase.

The Cavendish women watched as she cheerfully jumped right into the middle, laughing to herself all the way.

"I was so worried I left that back home! That would've been a mess. Oh man, you guys have no idea how cool it is Diana asked me to move in! We're gonna be roo-!"

" _What?!_ " Merrill cried.

Her jaw was on the floor. And even Maril looked stricken. Akko's neck craned over. Diana's face was completely pinched up, either cringing at the volume of her family or cringing in second-hand embarrassment. But cringing nonetheless.

Akko sucked in her bottom lip. "…that's what you guys were talking about, wasn't it?"

"Yes, dearest." Diana said. "It was."

* * *

 **~GP~**

* * *

"-and you didn't even call ahead to _ask_ us? Even you must admit, that's quite a lot to just drop on our doorstep, no questions asked."

"Honestly, Maril. How many times has she stayed over in the past year alone?"

"That's different." Daryl snapped. "A guest for one night is not at all the same thing as an entire new mouth to feed on a permanent basis."

"She's right!" Merrill stepped in front of her sister. "If Mother had done this to _you_ , you would have-!"

"As I've been trying to say, Akko's offer only came in yesterday afternoon. There hasn't exactly been a chance for us to sit down and discuss it over breakfast, has there?"

Akko opened her mouth to say something, but Maril beat her to the punch.

"But just because you're the matriarch, that doesn't mean you can go behind our backs. We still live here too!"

"And since _when_ have we _ever_ rented rooms?" Merrill said. "This isn't a halfway house, it's an ancestral home. She's not a Cavendish, she can't just squat here! Where _we_ sleep!"

Diana nearly chuckled out of sheer absurdity. "I am more than aware of that, thank you. And I was not sneaking behind anyone's back. I was attempting to tell you from the moment you walked in."

"Oh, that is complete-!"

" _Ladies._ " Daryl snapped.

Her daughters stiffened immediately. Daryl had been the master of this house for over twelve years. She may not hold the title any longer, but her voice still commanded the same power.

"Anna?" Daryl looked over.

Anna ducked her head apologetically. "Forgive me, Lady Daryl...I was not present when it was decided, but Diana believed it best if she could discuss it with you herself."

"But you knew." Daryl turned her gaze towards her niece. "And we did not."

Diana's face darkened.

"Unbelievable!" Merrill lips curled. "How many years have you lectured us on propriety and- and disgracing the name of this House? And you get to do whatever you want, just because she's your _girlfriend?_ "

Akko opened her mouth to say something, but Diana beat her this time.

"You know as well as I do that's not fair. Lending our home to someone in need of it is not the same as…"

"As _what?_ " Merrill challenged. Next to her, her sister turned away, shame coloring her features.

Diana did not, or would not, bring herself to say it.

Akko looked at her girlfriend, biting back her words. And then she looked at Merrill, crossing her arms. And then she looked at Maril, who would not meet her eye. Akko opened her mouth to something…only for Daryl to speak instead. Akko rolled her head back and groaned.

"You forget yourself, Diana." Daryl said, her tone low and serious. "You know as well as the rest of us the respect, and scrutiny, this house commands. And if one person living here acts out of line, that comes back to haunt all of us. Was that not, exactly, your objection to the way I acted when I was in your place?"

"That…" Diana grimaced. "…was it, in part, yes."

"We don't even hire gardeners without such vetting, and to give out a permanent room is an entirely different level. To say nothing of the costs of feeding and housing yet another person…"

"Why are you so concerned about the budget? Aren't our finances stable at the moment?"

"Oh, now she's interested. The Head of the House is finally interested in running it."

" _Merrill_."

"Heeey, guys! Hi!" Akko stepped forward very loudly, reasserting the fact that, yes, she actually was still here when they were talking about her. "So if it helps-!"

"Now's not the time." Daryl said sharply.

"Akko…" Diana chided lightly.

Akko said it anyway. "I'm paying rent! Just by the way. Like when Diana mentioned that new job offer of mine? It's a lot more consistent than what I'm doing now, and it's supposed to pay better too. With, you know, real money. I figured we could work something out, so it's not like I'm crashing on your couch."

The Cavendish women all looked at her simultaneously, and all seemed to consider this new bit of information. They went a solid ten seconds without bickering, and when no one raised their voices to her, Akko presumed they found the offer acceptable.

Akko did the politest thing she could think to do, and bowed. "Thank you for opening your house to me."

"…y-yes." Maril said, forcing herself to smile.

"Simply unbelievable…" Merrill scoffed.

The twins went their separate ways. She saw the way they both hesitated before leaving the room, as if surprised the other had not followed them. Though neither seemed willing to raise the issue.

And back in the foyer, Daryl and Diana's eyes met.

Neither woman said a word, and neither broke their gaze. It was not a glare, per say, though it was far from a cordial expression. What they were searching for in one another's faces, Akko could not say. But words were clearly being unspoken.

"Hm." Daryl hummed at last. "Well then. Have a pleasant night, Diana, Akko."

She turned without word or explanation, and walked purposefully back up the stairs, her heels clicking loudly in the now empty foyer. Akko cheerfully planted her hands on her hips.

And they told her she didn't understand aristocracy!

But Diana looked…abashed. It was hard to imagine what was going through her head, but before anything could be done about it, she let out a long sigh of relief. Re-centered, she turned to the woman she loved with a decidedly lighter expression.

"…if I may speak candidly, Akko?"

"Yeah?"

"Out of all the expectations I had about you moving in? Among all the romantic fantasies and dreams I've told myself…I think this part was quite on point, actually."

* * *

 **~GP~**

* * *

Daryl stewed in silence for the remainder of the night. In the privacy of her own suite, she was finding it difficult to let go of her irritation at the day's events. It was made especially difficult for her, given that as soon as the Manor was quiet, she could _hear_ their new housemate's prattling voice echo through the empty halls. The young woman's voice carried far too well for anyone's comfort, save for Diana perhaps.

It was petty of her to act this way. Daryl was old and wise enough to admit it. Merrill was still clearly upset, and her sister didn't seem to know what to think. Of the two camps, Daryl liked to think she fell towards the latter. After all, considering what happened on just the first night that girl set foot in these halls…

Her familiar, Janus seemed to be sensing her discomfort, squirming and slithering as she tried to clean her scales. She cooed to the serpent, encouraging her to stay still. She needed to be cleaned of unsightly blemishes.

Looks were a lady's first line of defense, after all.

There was a knock on her door. Tentatively, Maril poked her head in.

"Merrill wished to say good night, Mother."

"Did she? I wish you both pleasant dreams then."

Rather than excusing herself Maril lingered by the door somewhat awkwardly. Daryl had a guess on what she would like to talk about. She settled Janus and closed her terrarium for the night, and finally turned to give her daughter her full attention.

"…Mother, I just wanted to say…" Maril started, wringing her hands. "Well, we all did agree that Diana was the best choice for matriarch. And she… _has_ shown the skills to match. Not to mention, she saved our lives…"

"Dearest, please. There's really no need for preamble, I'm your _mother_. Just say what you came in to say."

Maril sighed for a moment. "I'm not… _enthused_ about someone of Akko's caliber living here, either. I really do understand where Merrill is coming from. But I also believe Akko's earned the chance to prove herself."

She raised her hands in preemptive defense before Daryl could even speak.

"Just to avoid more arguing if nothing else. You know how stubborn Diana gets. And…well, frankly, it's rather apparent that they really do care for each other. That is, I don't think they're going to break up, or anything so…"

Daryl snorted. "I'm not going to _break them up_ , Maril." She said. "For goodness sakes, I'm not a villain in a soap opera, I have much better things to do."

"Oh, of course." Maril breathed in relief. "I know it's been frustrating for you lately, Mother. And I apologize for raising my voice earlier. That was rather boorish of me, and to do so in front of a guest…"

"A very particular, and especially persistent guest." Daryl added wryly, which seemed to lighten her daughter's mood.

"That she is," Maril agreed, with a small chuckle. "But even so…there's always the family motto to consider, isn't there? I suppose the best thing to do as the daughters of Beatrix, is to extend her our compassion, right?"

At the familiar sting of those words, Daryl turned back. "Have you forgotten everything I've tried to teach you? Compassion is more than a mild mannered attitude and sticking your neck out for everyone who asks. If you're kind to everyone, then…"

"…You'll inevitably be cruel to someone." Maril finished. "But Mother…"

"Diana used to understand that too…"

A wistful part of Daryl suddenly missed her sister. She and Bernadette always disagreed on what compassion meant, but for a while at least, Daryl believed Bernadette had _listened_ to her. And now she was having the same arguments with her daughter, and they both knew too many bridges had been burned for either side to honestly care. If she were still here, she probably could have…

Finishing up, Daryl poised herself and regarded her own daughter.

"When we've all calmed down, we shall have a proper discussion about it. It will be civil, it will be fair, and neither of us will raise our voices or become snide with one another. We shall behave like Cavendishes, and come to an agreeable solution for all of us."

"Yes…like Cavendishes."

It rang somewhat hollow, given they both knew how Cavendishes behaved.

As her daughter excused herself to bed, and quiet filled her suite once more, Daryl was left alone with her thoughts. She really _didn't_ know what to do about all this.

She knew her niece thought of her as the villain in life. She was the wicked foster parent, the cruel aunt, the poison apple in the family tree. But Daryl also knew, somewhere deep down, Diana realized it was only thanks to her alleged "villainy" that the House of Cavendish still stood. Bills had to be paid. The land needed to be kept safe. Diana wouldn't have been pleased to graduate to the sight of the Manor being sold away. Demolished. Repossessed.

Daryl needed, or perhaps just wanted, to make Diana, understand as the Lady of the House. There was a _reason_ her aunt so often ignored their family values for the sake of appearance.

Looks were a lady's first line of defense, after all.

But instead of dwelling further on matters that brought out her unpleasant qualities, she rung for one of the maids. Daryl had a reoccurring headache that cropped up every few months or so, and now it was moving in to stay.

Right now, she needed a drink. A _very_ strong drink.

* * *

 _A. N. Oh my god did you guys hear there was a quarantine or something that's wild_

 _As a side not, I'll likely be doing some minor revisions to earlier chapters in the next few days. There won't be any big changes, just a bit of clean up to grammar and structure. So if you see this update very soon, that's probably why._


	6. The First Week In

There was a palpable, intense aura radiating off her cousins the following morning. But if Diana was at all bothered by it, she certainly was not letting it show. She read through her class notes at the breakfast table (admittedly, a bit of a faux pas) though she was doing little otherwise too hide her good mood, especially from her cousins.

Merrill glowered over the plate of sunny-side up eggs. The yolk jiggled back and forth as she tapped at it with her fork. Diana sitting in front of her blushing like a bride did not seem to do much for her appetite. Maril, by contrast, ate very cautiously, eyes darting between them the way a deer watches a wolf. She looked at Diana expectantly, as though preparing for the next bombshell to drop.

"So." Merrill said.

Maril inhaled through her nose, bracing herself.

"I heard you two up late talking last night. It was…" Merrill paused. "…inconsiderate."

"It's party my fault." Diana's shoulders bounced up in shrug. "You know, she mentioned to me that around this time her internal clock gets thrown off. I recall when I went to visit her home in Edogawa, it was quite difficult to sleep that night. Your brain expects it to be a different time zone than what it actually is, interestingly enough."

Merrill did not look like she found musings of future WMd. Diana Cavendish to be _interestingly enough_.

"May I please ask that you two speak… _quieter?_ If you insist on being up so late?"

"Of course. My apologies."

Diana looked outwardly remorseful, which was only due to years of practice hiding her emotions, since she didn't actually feel guilty in the slightest. She had been more affected by yesterday's argument than she let on, but she was far too used to her cousin's impatience by now. They could be as angry at _her_ as they wanted. It was just another day.

But leave it to Akko to so easily erase whatever worries she had. There had just been so many things she wanted to tell her last night, so many things she felt too excited to wait to say. It had been honestly unlike her, to speak so much about nothing and feel it was of the utmost importance.

But she knew Anna would have a fit if she did not sleep. And she would have an even bigger one if it was not in her _own_ bed.

Akko wandered in a short while later, in a loose t-shirt and pink shorts. The outfit was not that scandalous, by any standards. However, it was the kind of outfit not a single other person in the house would _dare_ show themselves in, making Akko's complete ignorance of her own appearance all the more galling to them.

Akko made a beeline for the breakfast platter and took only a slice of toast. Merrill glared at her out of the side of her eye, watching as the young woman leaned against the kitchen island crunching away.

Diana watched too, of course. But the Cavendish within was quick to remind her of where she was and what her role was to be.

"It's...rather impolite to eat like that." Diana chided lightly. "Why don't you come to the table to eat?"

Akko's eyes peeled open.

"How is it…? Oh!"

She scooted into the breakfast table noisily. Diana respectfully looked at Akko's bare legs as she sat down and then respectfully looked upwards like she hadn't done so at all.

"I dunno how anyone keeps track of all these rules." She spoke like she still needed to yawn. "This is the…third dinner table I've seen in your house? How many do you guys need…?"

"You'll have plenty of time to learn all the finer points of etiquette." Diana momentarily forgot herself, and found herself leaning on her hand. "So, how did you sleep on your first night in new home?"

Akko giggled. "You can't stop saying that, can you?"

"Perhaps…"

"Best sleep I've had in weeks. But maybe it'd be better if-"

"A-Akko, not at the table…"

The two shared a small moment of comfortable silence. Diana still thought it apparent how beautiful Akko had grown up to be. She had always been good looking, with a body toned by athleticism, but age turned arrogance into confidence, and brought out the qualities that had been hidden behind her obnoxious demeanor. The way her eyes wrinkled as she smiled made it easy to see how she could become a show star. With how short she still wore her hair, even her bedhead looked less disheveled and more untamed.

She felt an insatiable pull towards the other woman's pale lips. There were crumbs all around Akko's mouth, and Diana wondered, almost childishly, what Akko would do, if she were to brush them away…

Merrill's fork violently twisted into her eggs, slowly ripping apart the yolk.

"Bunny themed pajamas." She noted dryly, looking at Akko's shirt. "Rather on the nose, don't you think?"

Maril drew in a deep breath. "…Listen-"

"Don't get snippy at me, she told me her showgirl name is based off a _rabbit._ Is she wearing her own merchandise right now?"

Akko looked down at herself, blinking sleepily. "Oh this? Pretty sure this shirt was a gift from Ursula."

Maril and Merrill turned to Diana in unison.

"Professor of ours," Diana explained. "Taught her supplemental lessons."

"Hrmm…" Merrill skewered her fork in deeper.

"Well whoever it's from," Maril said placatingly, "it's rather late in the day to be wearing something like that. If you're going to live with us, you should dress like it too."

"Eh? Who the heck's gonna be so stuck up about how I dress in the morning?"

"It…might help you fit in here better." Maril offered, cutting off her sister before she could voice her own opinion.

Akko weighed this in her mind for a moment, before seemingly distracting herself with the pleasant thought of having her own merchandise. She sighed dreamily, already letting the dour mood flow past her. Which meant there was little else Diana needed to do here.

Diana snapped her book closed. "I'm afraid I need to hurry. Give Carter my thanks for breakfast, but I can't be late for my shift."

Akko's eyes snapped open at the sound of Diana leaving. Her chair skidded against the floor as she scurried to intercept Diana at the entryway with a quick embrace. She moved to kiss her, but Diana stopped her cold with a finger to her lips.

"No," Diana said. "Clean your face first, Akko."

" _Mouuu_ who caresss…?"

"A proper witch must be presentable at all times."

Diana reached into her breast pocket and offered her a handkerchief. Akko instead wiped off her mouth on the shoulder of her t-shirt.

"There! I got it, right?"

"You did. Now, I-"

Akko abruptly leaned up to steal a kiss, which both surprised and delighted Diana. A part of her was saying, she should be embarrassed at the PDA, should be abashed as kissing in front of the two people who had teased her relentlessly a child, and yet, for the first time, Diana really did not care what they thought.

They parted, and they might as well have been in their own world. Akko's hand ran across the nape of her neck, and it felt electric.

"Have fun with your nerdy stuff, Diana! Text me when you're done, okay? I'll miss you!"

"I…I'll hardly be gone that long…"

"But I love you!"

"I love you as well, now I _need_ to _go_ , so please-"

Merrill pushed her plate of scrambled eggs away. "Suddenly, I've lost my appetite."

* * *

 **~GP~**

* * *

The days of Akko's first week unfolded elegantly and remarkably, almost like a montage.

Over the next few days, Akko settled in quickly. Wherever she found her new home lacking, she found a solution to make it suit her sensibilities. She splurged slightly, coming home one day with a few garish posters to decorate her drab room, the most ostentatious addition the ancient walls had seen in many decades. The transition seemed perhaps more fun than momentous.

But for Diana? It was strange and wonderful. It felt like a realization of something, a conclusion of a dream. Her life still continued on as it ever did. But now there was someone waiting for her at home. It felt alien and domestic, all at once.

On that same day, her phone was assaulted with a carol of sweet nothings all throughout her shift, earning her strange looks from her supervisor. Akko felt the need to tell her _everything_ , and Diana kept biting her lip at work to keep a straight face.

It had taken her much more effort to complete her tasks in the lab, and yet it had felt like less. She came home with a lightness to her step, moving to the beat of a song no one else could hear.

And on the next day, she found herself trying to field off teasing from Jasminka while dealing with a slightly more urgent call from Anna, on Daryl's behalf. Someone was singing out spells quite loudly in the gardens, it seemed. Daryl was, evidently, unpleased. Anna wanted to know how best to diffuse the situation.

Not that Diana was able to give her a good answer. A certain someone had snuck a sticky-note into her lunch bag, and Jasminka found its contents too amusing _not_ to share in the group text. It was double-stressing Diana out.

Daryl avoided her that night, and Diana avoided Daryl in turn. But when she returned to the Manor, she immediately found herself pulled into Akko's room. She did not try very hard to get away.

Another day, during her medical lectures. Her pencil swayed across the page, and she found herself debating whether or not to invest the evening in supplemental research. Her inevitable thesis would eventually need it, but for the first time, she was actually excited to be home instead of in class.

And that evening. When she finally did return, she found Akko on the floor with the family dogs. Not just one, but the entire litter of purebred, meticulously trained hunting dogs, one of the many prides of the Manor. Somehow, someway, Akko had managed to get all of them wiggling their entire backsides like they were just puppies. And somehow, she convinced Diana to join the ensemble.

The next morning. She only entered Akko's room to kiss the sleeping witch goodbye before she left for her next shift. But the moment she stepped out the door, she was dragged right back inside, much to their mutual pleasure. It was the first time Diana had _ever_ clocked in late. It was hard to say if she or her supervisor was more embarrassed about it.

The entire week, it was like she was being pulled two ways every day. And yet somehow it felt like she was coasting through a daydream, dancing her way through life. Her studies felt as though they were doing themselves, so she could see the beautiful person waiting for her by the door that much quicker.

Last night, Anna was making her daily rounds. She found the head chef loitering outside the kitchens.

Anna was aghast at the sight. Carter was one of the Manor's most senior and most dependable workers, having been here since Diana's grandmother was still alive. For her to find him frolicing about, with a silly grin behind his bushy gray mustache, was unheard of.

"Mr. Carter, what are you doing?" Anna said, fixing him with a glare. "I would've thought you'd started dinner by now."

"Ah, Anna. My apologies, it's just…the kitchen is taken at the moment."

Diana and Akko had taken the counterspace, and were doing what appeared to be baking. Ingredients and bowls were strewn every which way, and Anna's aged heart may have seized at the sight of flour and dough littered all over both their clothes and the surface beneath them. The kitchen itself was an enormous _mess._

"Akko, that's too much sugar!" Diana cried as Akko squeezed past her to better access their bowl.

"If you don't like them, I'll eat yours!"

"How selfish. And after you asked me to show you this recipe."

"I'm listening, I'm listening! But if it turns out bad, it's not my fault."

"Oh, of _course_ not."

It was not clear to anyone but them what exactly they were making, but the two were treating it much more like a game. Akko was making an enormous spectacle of it, but not only did Diana not seem to mind (which in itself seemed shocking to Anna), she even laughed as Akko missed the bowl entirely.

Carter's amusement was clear in his crinkled eyes. "Have you ever heard the young Lady laugh like that?"

"Not in…quite a while, no." Anna admitted.

"I'm almost afraid to interrupt them."

"Afraid enough to incur Daryl's wrath, should her daughters go to bed hungry?"

They both turned at the sound of a most unladylike snort. Their conversation had not exactly been subtle, making it even more impressive they had gone completely unnoticed by the two.

Diana huffed at her girlfriend fondly. "Are you going to take this seriously, or am I the only one interested in making this dough?"

"…Boop!"

" _A_ - _Akko!_ "

Carter turned to Anna. "I have lived a good life, my dear Anna."

Anna fought the urge to roll her eyes. "I shall inform them dinner may be late."

Diana received yet more stern looks from her family that following morning. But somehow, it didn't bother her. It should have, but their ire fell on deaf ears. Akko never noticed it, and somehow every day, she convinced Diana not to notice it either.

For a glorious few days, there were no parts of her life, no separation between "Diana" and "Cavendish." For a glorious few days, her life felt like it had come together in a cohesive, perfect melody. There was nothing left to worry about. For a glorious few days, she was so happy that nothing seemed to trouble her.

She felt like she had fallen in love all over again.

And to the lonely little orphan girl…who practiced witchcraft in forced isolation…who spent her teenage years untouchable upon a cold pedestal…this felt like the soft ending her heart had always yearned for.

It had been a beautiful, wonderful week.

It was over the _next_ few days that it proved it had to end eventually.

* * *

 **~GP~**

* * *

The contrast between the modern witch and the traditional home was nowhere more apparent than in her new sleeping quarters. Akko's new room, just a few doors down from Diana's own childhood bedroom, was typical of the Manor's residencies. Fairly large, if fairly plain, with authentic wood furniture and a traditional bathroom.

The white, glitter-slathered tunic hanging from the closet was practically blinding compared to the rest of the room. To say nothing of the branded shirts strewn carelessly on the floor, a ridiculously colored bean bag, and a host of other ridiculous props and mementos from Akko's career decorating an empty oak bookshelf.

Diana was there, in theory, to help Akko find a good outfit for her impending interview with her sponsor. Akko had suggested going in wearing her Glimmering outfit, which, while it certainly made a statement, would not have sent the right one. They were just lucky most of her nicer clothes had been mailed over by now.

There were two quick taps to the door, and Diana was surprised to see, of all people, Maril be the one to enter. Maril opened her mouth to say something, but stopped short, seeing Diana sitting on the bed. She seemed to have suddenly realized she had walked into the middle of a moment, but she was already in the room, so it was too late to back down.

"Hi Maril!" Akko said, cheerfully oblivious as ever.

"Uh…hello."

Maril's eyes locked on a clipped newspaper within a picture frame hanging from the opposite wall. The slant of her mouth seemed to indicate she found the homemade composition of it to be somewhat tacky. The article framed was unreadable to both her and Diana, written entirely in kanji. The girl in the photograph, dressed in a glitter-smeared tunic and hat giving a cheeky grin spoke for it well enough, however.

"My first spotlight article!" Akko puffed out her chest. "You know there's still not a lot of witches in Japan. I'm a pretty big deal in my hometown!"

"I see…" Maril muttered. "I didn't know that."

"It bummed me out when I was a little kid, since it was impossible to find magic stuff unless you had it mailed in, and I looked _everywhere!_ But I guess it ended up working out in my favor, in the end! It gave my shows enough of a niche that I got noticed over here."

Maril held up what looked to be a red blanket. "Yes, well…judging by the picture, I think this is yours?"

Akko stared at the cloth for a moment before her eyes jumped in realization. "That's my cape! Where did you find that?"

"It ended up in my laundry. I would…generally prefer if it didn't do so again."

Akko snatched it from her, and then craned forward to peer at Maril's back.

"What are you-?"

"You don't have any glitter on your clothes, right? Trust me, I've tried to wash my costume with the rest of clothes before. Granted, this was just the cape this time so it _probably_ shouldn't ruin anything…"

"I-it better not have!" Maril tried desperately to look at her own back. "This is my favorite blouse!"

"I think it's fine! I just had to check." Akko made a face. "I _told_ Anna I can manage my own laundry! She never listens to me."

Diana could only imagine how that conversation went. Anna was very particular about house guests, and Akko was still new enough here that she qualified as such. Trying to convince her to let a guest of the manor do their own manual labor was…not impossible, but it often reflected badly enough on the host that Diana wondered if Anna had simply seen it and done so out of habit.

Akko explained, clipping her cape back onto her suit, still glittering prettily in the windowlight. "I just don't wanna take advantage of her. And besides, by now I figured out how to make it look good, so it's not like I need someone to do it for me."

Maril glanced over her blouse once more, satisfied her own attire was not reflecting light like a kindergartner's first art project. "You have the option to have someone work for you, and you'd rather do it on your own?" She cocked her head at her. "I can't say I ever took _you_ for the type…"

Diana caught that barb, but Akko did not.

"Hey, I'm better at this stuff than Diana!" Akko grimaced. "I've been living alone, you know!"

"E-excuse me?" Diana frowned.

Akko turned to her smugly. "Remember the laundry competition our first year at Luna Nova? With the Horologium Room? You couldn't even-!"

"Okay, that was years ago," Diana said, lightly blushing. No one needed to hear about their time looping escapades, or the fact that Diana's pride in her own skills may or may not have led to them going through an additional three time loops just to get it right.

"Still doesn't change that I'm-" Akko began, before catching herself. "Oh! I forgot to say thanks Maril! I dunno what I would've done if I lost this again."

Maril seemed bewildered the bright expression and the rapid changing of topics. It was hard for her to gauge the proper distance here, and unfortunately for her, Akko never wore her heart anywhere but prominently on her sleeve.

"Of…of course, yes. What in the world is a Horologium Room…?"

"Ha! I'm just teasing her because she _hates_ when I bring it up. But I bet you know some embarrassing stories from Diana's childhood, right?"

From behind them, Diana cried out, "Akko!"

Akko laughed. "I _never_ get to hear about what you like as a little kid!"

Maril cleared her throat. "Oh…we didn't really… _talk_ much, when she was a child."

"C'mooon, you lived together, you gotta know something! I'll tell you one if you tell me one."

Diana's eyes widened. "What? No, you most certainly will _not_."

Maril's hand wrapped around her sleeve, laughing uncomfortably. "Really, it was…we were distant, I think, for the longest time. For one thing, I'm eight years older than her, and for another…" She looked up at the prickly blonde witch. "N-no offense, Diana, but you always kept your distance from us."

"You and your sister shunned witchcraft. And you two knew I always intended to be a witch. Would you even have accepted me if I said so?"

"In our defense, how could we have known there would be a magical renaissance? As far as we heard, you might as well have been telling us how…I don't know, those cars you hand-crank are going to be coming back. Magic might as well have been dead in the water."

"There's something to be said for faith."

"Even _you_ would've called that notion silly, you know. No one knew if any of the Triskellion stories were real. You never understood that, when you were younger."

"I understood enough. That's what got me where I am today."

Akko's face sunk at the sudden moodiness that had fallen over the room. She looked at Diana sheepishly, and she stepped between them, reasserting herself as the center of attention with an almost automatic ease.

"H-hey!" Akko said to Maril. "If you don't have any stories, it's fine! Sorry, I didn't think it would bring up any bad memories."

"It's nothing to apologize for," Diana assured her. "You just were asking questions. I'm certainly not upset."

Maril placed a hand over her chest. "And _I'm_ not either. I know you don't like me. All I wanted to say is, we did our best with what we had at the time."

"I suppose that's all any of us can do." Diana said agreeably. Somewhere in her arms, she could feel the phantom pains of snake coils. "And I've never said I disliked you either."

"Good, thank you." Maril said, with an air of finality. "Really, the only reason I say that is to offer some…free advice, so she can stay in Mother's better graces. You could think of it as a belated housewarming present."

Akko's nose pinched up in an incredulous grin. "Aww, that's nice! I…think."

"Surely you can see how helpful it would be, Diana. It's really not hard to stay on Mother's good side, it just takes a little more foresight. I would've thought you'd appreciate it."

Diana bit back a sigh. Was Maril so unused to being kind that _this_ was how it filtered out?

"…That…would be lovely, to be on Daryl's good side. But that said, I've learned my lesson from the other day, thank you."

"Well, if you'd _let_ me, I could actually help. Everyone's been in a mood lately, and I just thought it'd be beneficial if we talked without getting Mother involved. You _said_ to treat our new guest with respect, and I…I do like her, in spite of her upbringing, but-"

"In spite of my upbringing?" Akko squinted at her.

"No, that came out wrong. She's-" Maril turned to Akko. "You're a commoner, yes. But you've done some great services for this house despite that, so…it's not like I think that, just because you have a humble background-"

Diana's sigh finally broke free. "Oh, honestly-"

"I am _trying_ to be kind!" Maril retorted. "I am trying! You know Mother doesn't think she even belongs here, but _I_ actually tried to speak to her. I'm trying to be on your side!"

Diana slowly unfolded her arms.

"…What?"

"You two have been somehow both in our faces and ignoring us since you moved in! Everywhere we go, it's you two. But why should I fight your battles for you if you're just going to completely ignore me in turn? Have you even _talked_ to Mother, or have you been ignoring her too? She's-"

"No, I mean…" Diana peered at her. "You spoke up on _my_ behalf, to her?"

"L-Look…I've never said this to you, and perhaps I _should_ have, but-"

There was a tense pause. Maril's hand wrapped around her index finger, wringing it back and forth. Out of the corner of her eye, Diana could see Akko leaning forward.

"…Forget it." Maril angrily threw up her arms. "What do you care anyway?"

She wasted little time in retreating from the room, sharply shutting the door behind her, leaving the two alone and Diana to feel conflicted.

Akko sighed, and flopped down on the bed next to her.

"Man…what's with you guys anyway? I didn't think that was going to get so awkward so fast."

"You needn't worry about me." Diana waved off her concerns. "I…probably should've handled that better. I suppose I've been too emotional lately."

"You're using words like _needn't_ , so I know you're stressed out. But I really _am_ sorry. First I blew your introductions, and now this too."

"All I care about is that you're not taking what they say personally. The introductions are…my fault, as well. No one else has been arguing with you when I'm not here, right?"

Akko thought for a moment. "Not really? I mean there was that thing with Anna, and one of the chefs got upset that I wouldn't let him make breakfast for me, but that was about it, except for maybe Daryl getting in my face the other day."

"Was Daryl rude to you?"

"No, she just kinda kicked me out right when I was in the middle of doing a really good trick. And I don't even get it, your house is humongous. What difference does one garden make over the other? I kinda see how you became such a stickler for rules."

Diana didn't feel comfortable addressing that last comment.

"Maybe I should hear Maril out. I mean, she's…trying?"

"She is." Diana admitted. "But I can almost guarantee her advice is simply the proper way to sit pretty and be quiet. Trust me, it only goes so far."

"But she wants to help."

But it was so much easier on Maril's side, Diana thought bitterly. To extend the hand of friendship and be the bigger person, and to put Diana on the spot for notdoing the same.

They poisoned her. Their pets _attacked_ her. She had a truce with Daryl, and she coexisted with her cousins, but there was no getting around the fact that the rest of her family despised her enough at one point to sabotage her when she was just 16.

The axe forgets, but the tree remembers. And if the axe apologizes, is the tree's role to forgive her? Is it…obligated to? She did not know. Sometimes, she wasn't even sure she wanted to. And it wasn't as though Maril had actually _said_ sorry.

Akko gazed at her intently. Diana felt herself shifting on the sheets.

Eventually, she reached over and pulled the other woman into a hug. She laid her head down into Diana's hair, and just held her softly.

"I _really_ don't get why your family's so hard for you, Diana. I really wish I could help more."

And privately, Diana wished Akko wouldn't have to. She did not think so lowly of her family to believe she would actually try to hurt someone. Her aunt had never been a kind guardian, but she had spent years now attempting to be respectable. But Diana was afraid Akko would take it upon herself to try and… _fix_ her family.

Akko wasn't prideful, though she grew up being slighted at every turn. She was quick to do things herself, just to prove that she could. Diana worried that, in an effort to spare _her_ of dealing with her family, Akko would try and bear the brunt of their anger, and just…not tell anyone until it got to be too much for her. Diana's thoughts turned to that one horrible summer years ago, and she shuddered.

It was, in some ways, Akko's love language. Anything she could do to make someone's day that much happier. A show, a smile, and a distraction.

Perhaps that had been the real reason it took Diana years to ask her to move in, when so many other women in their situation moved so much faster than her. She loved her. She knew since they were 17 that she would never be with another person. But the thought of Maril and Akko having any sort of relationship felt…strange to her.

And yet…

Maril, who had been one of the banes of her childhood, who along with her sister had caused Diana to go to bed fighting tears in her eyes far more than once, who she was convinced hated her from the minute she was born, defended her to Daryl.

Diana was not sure what to feel right now.

* * *

 _A.N. The line about summer is the first, explicit reference to Oblivinations, which this is technically a sequel to. Reading it gives a bit more depth to the amount of trust Diana and Akko have in each other…and provides some insight into a few of their current flaws. But GP is absolutely designed to be read on its own as well, so by all means, don't worry too much about it._


End file.
